


Oh, To Be Young Again

by MysticWolfShadows



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Steve Rogers, Bruce just wants to be left alone, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Clint and the air vents, F/M, Gen, M/M, Mjolnir loves breaking walls, Natasha will stab you, Pansexual Tony Stark, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Iron Man 3, Pre-Thor: The Dark World, Rhodey is So Done, Sam Is So Done, Snarky Jarvis, So Many Dogs, Summer Camp, Summer Vacation, Teenagers, Tony Stark Flirts, What Happened in Budapest, eventually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 15:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 47,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7579702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticWolfShadows/pseuds/MysticWolfShadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the Avengers and Loki get ready to fight one of the last known Hydra bases, a prank by Loki goes terribly wrong, and Coulson is left to deal with six baby Avengers and a baby Loki. With no clue of what else to do, Coulson works with Skye to send all seven of the new found one year olds undercover into foster homes. Now, fifteen years later, they all meet again in a twist of fate, and struggle with teen hormones, remembering who they really are, and running from men in black suits that may or may not want to hurt them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

There were many things Phil Coulson had been prepared for, but this was not one. He was ready for a Hulk episode, or Thor accidentally exploding something with electricity. Hell, he was even ready for Loki to stop playing little pranks and betray them all after nearly three months of working together. But he was not prepared for this.  
Skye stood before him, biting her lip as she bounced the wailing baby Tony against her shoulder. The other Avengers, plus Loki, were all on a blanket at her feet, wrapped in either adult t-shirts or towels. Natasha was making an attempt to escape, while Clint was staring up at Phil, trying to get picked up. Thor was papping Loki as his brother did the same, though Loki didn’t look nearly as pleased with it as Thor did. Bruce was thankfully asleep, while Steve rolling around on the blanket.  
“Sir,” Skye says as she sways, trying to get Tony to stop crying. “What should we do? We can’t keep them here.”  
Coulson gave a quick nod, bending down to pick up Natasha and put her back on the blanket. She glared at him, and Clint made a somewhat distressed noise, bouncing with his hands in the air. They were supposed to be briefing for a mission to storm a Hydra facility, not trying to figure out what to do with a bunch of babies. Super babies, no less. And as they didn’t have Loki to change them back… The solution would have to be long term.  
Turning to Skye, Coulson frowned. “How long would it take you to hack into a few adoption agencies and forge some papers?”  
“A few days,” she tells him as Tony starts to quiet down. “Why? What do you have in mind?”  
He simply smiles at her, turning to make a call as Skye sighed, getting off to work. It took a while longer then planned for Skye to hack into four adoption agencies, as Tony refused to leave her for anything but nap time. But with all the time she could spare, and eventually direction from Coulson, she had created proper papers for all of the baby Avengers.  
The plan was actually fairly simple. They would hide the Avengers in plain sight around the country, under the false cover of foster kids. Skye had found the best people to hide the babies with, and after a week, they took a Quinjet out to deliver each child, sign some fake paperwork.  
The first to be dropped off was Steve. They had changed the super soldier turned baby into a plain blue onesie before taking him to Ban and May Parker, who didn’t have any children of their own, but a nephew around Steve’s new age. Coulson thought it would be a perfect place for Steve,as he would have a nice family The Parker's all lived in Queens, New York, so Coulson saw it as a bonus to being able to keep a closer eye on his favorite hero.  
The next to be dropped off was Natasha, outside of Detroit, Michigan. Coulson had to call this one in as a favor, as Natasha was already showing signs of killer spy behavior. So Coulson asked an old friend, a guy named Marcus Miller, to take Natasha under his wing. He doubted that Natasha would need a father figure, so Coulson made the guess that Marcus would only be a guardian. Though, he would probably take Natasha on hunting trips, as well as encourage her to do ballet. Marcus was cool like that, looking all gruff and menacing, but really had a heart of gold.  
Thor and Loki came next. Even though the two fought like crazy, they refused to be separated. So they hand to go to family that wanted to adopt two kids. Magnus and Galinda Young seemed like the best fit, in Jacksonville, Florida, so Coulson took them both in, giving them a small warning that Loki might turn out to be a handful, and to call if they had any problems. Loki seemed pleased to be away from Coulson, though, and he didn’t bother looking back.  
Clint was a hard one to place. He was Coulson’s favorite, having found, recruited, and trained the man himself. They even had an off and on thing on the side when they weren’t working. But nevertheless, Coulson was SHIELD director now, and had to stay focused. He dropped Clint off on a farm in Kansas, with two gay men named John and Greg Davis. The farm would be a good place for Clint, where he could practice archery. If he… picked it up, that is.  
They decided Alaska would be the best place for Bruce, and Coulson called in another favor. Just outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, a mutant lesbian woman named Jolyn Adams was living with her human wife, Tina. Jolyn could heat things up around her, and the Alaskan cold negated her abilities so it didn’t make it feel like she was made of lava. He told them that Bruce was orphaned, and a mutant who changed into a dangerous monster when his emotions went to wild. Jolyn was all to happy to oblige. Bruce instantly seemed to like her, and that was that.  
That left only Tony, who wailed whenever Skye tried to put him down. Currently, Tony was glaring at Coulson, a thumb in his mouth as he held fast to Skye’s shirt. Skye sighed, shaking her head as she bounced Tony against her shoulder.  
“What should we do about Mr. Stark, sir?” She asked as she looked at Coulson expectantly.  
He sighed, rubbing his face. “Why don’t you take him?”  
“Me, sir?”  
“Yes, you were planning on switching to part time anyway. I’ll drop you off in San Francisco and you can raise Stark as an Aunt or whatever you think is best.”  
Skye stared at him, then down at the baby in her arms. She could almost feel tears welling up in her eyes. Tony would be hers. Her own little family. She swallowed, throat tight at the thought. She had always wanted a family when she was younger…  
“Thank you, sir,” Skye says with a smile.  
Coulson simply smiled at her, holding out a folder. “I made a file for you already. Daisy Skye Johnson, the new guardian of her nephew Anthony James Johnson. Good luck.”  
Skye nodded, getting off the quinjet in San Fransisco, and settling into her new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prologue is a little shorter then the other chapters will be. Comment who you think will remember first! Also, looking for a possible beta reader.


	2. Tony’s Suspicions and Steve’s Visions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is a bit suspicious about why his Aunt Skye is so insistent on going to Washington, and Steve is concerned by his dreams and what might be visions.

Tony Johnson had lived a pretty happy life. He did well in school, was great friends with his aunt/guardian, Skye, and had a very magnetic personality. So, all around, he liked things how they were. 

So why did they have to move? 

"Tony," Aunt Skye said with a sigh. "I told you, it's for work. My boss thinks it will be in the company's best interest for me to move to Washington for the summer. Which means you have to move to. It'll only be for the summer, and there's a sciencey kind of camp thing there to that you'll probably enjoy." 

"But all my friends are here," Tony argues, crossing his arms. "I wanted to hang with them over the summer, not go to some camp in the asscrack of nowhere Washington." 

"Go pack your stuff, Tony. We're leaving tonight." 

Tony groaned, stomping down the stairs to the garage, where he had set up his room/workshop. He loved his Aunt Skye, he really did, but god, he didn’t want to move for the summer. Sure, it would be nice to get out of San Fran for a while, but his friends! God, he was going to miss his friends. 

With a sigh, he went to his loft bed, pulling the nearly forgotten suitcase out from beside the small dresser that made up his closet.It was a very sad wardrobe, and Tony often wondered how he mad it work. With his importance at school as the ‘King of All’, as the other students called him, he wondered why no one pointed out nearly all of his clothing was from the clearance rack. 

Flipping open the suitcase, Tony pulled open his pants drawer, stacking four pairs of pants, one semi nice, the other three pretty worn and thinned. He was actually pretty surprised they hadn’t fallen apart yet. Aunt Skye would need to take him school shopping when they got back. He added a few extra shirts to go with. Two long sleeves for undershirts, two t-shirts, two muscle shirts, and two over shirts. The suitcase was half full at that point, and Tony just dropped a few random pajama pants in. 

That was about three fourths of the suitcase, so Tony filled the rest with a couple books, a code book, and his tablet. His phone remained in his pocket while his tablet and phone charger went into the suitcase with his homemade, mini solar generator. The solar paneling had taken a few weeks of his allowance, but it was worth it. Aunt Skye had told him he couldn’t use it where other people could see, though, which made it almost not worth it. He still took it out with him anyway, though. 

So, he flipped the suitcase closed, zipping it up before carrying it to the stairs back up to the main house. Tony paused at the light switch, glancing around his room for a second as a sinking feeling grew in his chest, just over his heart. For some reason, he was beginning to think he wouldn’t be seeing this place for a while… 

Shaking away the thought, and the feeling, Tony flipped off the light, and carried his things upstairs, where Aunt Skye was talking on the phone. She glanced at Tony before tossing him the keys to the car, turning away from him to continue her conversation. Tony, bored already bored, carried his stuff to the door. 

“The Davis’ family?” Aunt Skye asked whoever was on the other side. “Yes, I’ll talk to them. Lavender farm just outside of… Sequim? Alright, I’ll see what I can do. Should I see about trying to get them to take Barton back to Kansas? I doubt they’ll like it if we take him back. And he probably won't react well to being taken to the Triskelion.” 

Tony frowned, standing just outside, his ear pressed to the door. Was his Aunt talking about kidnapping? He made a mental note to file bits of that conversation away for later. Davis family, lavender farm, Barton, Kansas. He’d ask around at this camp he’d be going to. Maybe he’d even like this Barton guy? 

Taking a deep breath, Tony opened the car, setting his suitcase in the backseat before sitting in the passenger seat. Aunt Skye came out soon after, tossing two duffel bags in the back as well, He watched her carefully, unsure of what he should do. Should he ask her about it? Should he ignore it? 

No, he would look into this. And he'd find out exactly what was going on.

XxXXxX

Steve Parker was very excited. He was going to be going on a vacation with his cousin and Mother. 

Well, sort of his Mother. She and his… Dad had adopted him when he was barely a year old, but had loved him as if he had been their own. Sadly, about a year ago, his Father had died. It had been terrible for all of them, but his cousin Peter had it worse. Peter had seen him die, had been there when he said his last words. 

And not only that, but Peter had become Spider Man. 

Well, sort of. 

When Peter got bit by the spider, he had come to Steve to talk about his strange new abilities. Somehow, Steve had just known what to say to help, telling Peter how he would help him train and do what he needed to. He even designed the suit for Peter. He had always had a good taste for art, and after all the years with his Mother making quilts and dress clothes, Steve had no problem designing, and making, a super suit. 

It was kind of cool, having a superhero for a cousin. 

But right now, they were getting ready to leave for a vacation. They were going to Washington state, so May could join her graduating class for their 30th reunion, while Peter and Steve went to a camp for a while at a lake. It would be fun, and Steve was just so excited. 

He had already packed everything he needed into his suitcase, eager to get to the airport to leave. He’d never left New York before. 

“Wow Steve,” Peter says as he walked up next to him. “You sure you can carry all that?” 

With a frown, Steve glanced down at his large, possibly over prepared suitcase, as well as a stuffed carry on bag. His suitcase had everything from sunscreen to towels, soap to shorts, everything they might need at the camp. His carry on was all personal stuff, like a couple cheap sketch books, and a double set of colored pencils. 

The only reason Steve was carrying a double set was because of his dreams. He would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, freezing, with vivid images in his head of things that made no sense. A pair of purple tinted sunglasses hanging from someone’s shirt, the handle of some kind of hammer, red hair cascading down the back of a woman in tight black, and purple pants torn against massive green legs. But the most vivid, the most memorable, was the blue light that shined against red and gold metal. When Steve woke from these dreams, he couldn’t help but scramble for his sketch books to draw them. He had to, for reasons he didn’t know, but he had to. 

“Yeah,” Steve says with a smile. “I’m just glad we get to go on vacation.” 

“It’s a summer camp across the country,” Peter reminds him. “It’s not like we’re going with Harry and Mary Jane.” 

Steve frowns at the thought of their two friends. He and Peter had met them ages ago, in elementary school, and Steve had never had any problems with them. They were his friends as much as they were Peter’s. But around the time his Dad died, and about when Steve started changing from the sickly victim to the strong protector, he started getting strange feelings when around Harry and Mary Jane. 

It was so strange. Steve saw them together, saw them interact, and he would remember something. Only… he’d never seen people who looked like the ones in his ‘memories’. Actually, he couldn’t even see what they looked like! All Steve knew about the people in his… his ‘visions’ was that one was a redhead like Mary Jane, and the other was a shortish man with dark hair. Both their faces were shadowed, dark as if he wasn’t meant to see. And whenever he tried to focus on the man, a white light would explode from the man's chest, and Steve would jerk back to reality. 

It was very disturbing… 

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” he says as he walks to the car. “Just you and me, cousin bonding time. We can hang out like we used to. Besides the fact you don’t have to protect me from bullies anymore.” 

“Bullies? I can’t even protect myself from Flash, much less the guys that went after you.” 

Steve blinked, an image of a man with long hair and dark eyes flashing in his mind. It was gone as fast as it had come and Steve shook his head, opening the trunk of the cab his Mother had called. “Sorry, meant something else. Is Mom ready?” 

“She was when I saw her.” Peter turned back to the house, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Aunt May! We’re ready to go!” 

Steve watched as his mother came out of the house, pulling a small suitcase behind her as she went. She handed it to Steve, who put it in the trunk for her, and all three were soon off to the airport. They had a flight that would take off in two or three hours, and had a layover in Michigan, but they would reach Seattle Washington by seven that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After seeing the first full chapter, as well as Tony and Steve, you still have the the ability to answer the Prologue pole of who you think will figure everything out first. This Chapter brings a new question! Do you think someone (Rhodey, Pepper, ect) will find them first, or will they remember before returning to the tower on their own? 
> 
> The Prologue question deadline is chapter four, but this chapter question is due before the next chapter.


	3. Thor and Loki’s Flight, and Natasha’s Confusion.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Thor and Loki's parents get a divorce, the brothers head to Washington and meet a familiar face on the plane. Meanwhile, Natasha meets two cousins on her own flight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're enjoying my writing, I have posted the first chapter of a Soulmate AU for Steve/Tony! It will be updated on the same days as this story until further notice.

Thor and Loki Young were going to stay with their Aunt in Forks, Washington for a few weeks while their adoptive parents, Jessica and Mike Young, got a divorce. It would take most of the summer, and neither of the brothers knew what to do about it.

Loki was still a bit peeved about their parents not telling them they were adopted, and didn’t seem to care either way. He just want to get away from them for a while. He had tried running away, once, but Thor had spotted him on the way out, and had followed him. They had been picked up by police officers three hours later, when their parents had found them missing.

Thor, however, didn’t care at all. He had told his parents that they were a family in all but blood, and they were a very honorable family. The fact that they Young’s had chosen to adopt them showed that they wanted to have them. They chose to have them.

Both of the brothers were a bit rattled by the divorce, though, and they were worried about being split up. They were brothers, adopted or not, and they would stay together.

So, they left Jacksonville, Florida, early on a Saturday. They had been on a plane before, when they went on vacation to Hawaii. Thor had enjoyed flying, though Loki didn’t. But Thor, having stayed up for over 24 hours in his excitement, fell asleep almost as soon as they got on. Loki, having nothing to do for the seven hour flight, soon fell asleep as well.

When they landed, Thor was already awake, playing some bubble popper game on his phone, while Loki was groggy and irritable. They had a double flight, so they would be on the plane for another two hours, once the new passengers got on.

“This is exciting,” Thor said as he turned to Loki, who sat in the middle seat. “I wonder who will be sitting next to us this time, brother?”

“If we are lucky,” Loki drawls, looking at his nails. “We will have no one sitting next to us. Many think we are girls, due to our hair, and I feel like I should have you punch them.”

“Brother…”

Just behind them, they heard a male voice, somehow familiar, calling to someone. “My seat is just up there, Aunt Skye. I’ll find you when we get off.”

Then someone was soon sitting in the aisle seat of their row. He was a short boy, with wavy black hair and a somewhat tanned complexion. Both brothers blinked at him, confused, as they recognized him but… not quite. Had…

“Have I met you guys before?” The boy asks as he squints at them.

Loki shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts. “No, I do not believe we have. I am Loki Young. And this is my brother, Thor.”

“Tony Johnson,” the boy says, looking at them both. “You guys have weird names. You sure we’ve never met before?”

“Not that I recall, but tis an honor, son of John,” Thor says with a grin, leaning forward against Loki as Tony snorts.

“And wierd talking habits. Are you guys from here in San Francisco?”

“We are from Jacksonville,” Loki says as he shoved Thor back. “Get off me, you oaf!”

“Sorry, brother,” Thor tells him. “I am simply excited to find out more of our new companion!”

“Where are you guys going?” Tony asks as he pulls out a tablet from his carry on. “When you get to Seattle, I mean. My Aunt has some business in Sequim, so I’m gonna be stuck at some summer camp at Lake Croissant, or something.”

“Lake Crescent,” Loki corrects. “We are going to stay with an Aunt in Forks while our parents are getting divorced. We may also go to the camp you speak of.”

“We have gone there before,” Thor adds. “They will split everyone into groups, and we will go on hikes, as well as canoe. Perhaps we will be in the same group, and the same cabin?”

Tony shrugs, opening a complex looking file. Loki could see bits and pieces of the long scrolling numbers, all of which he didn’t understand. Before Loki can ask about it, Thor speaks up.

“What are you doing with that device, friend Tony?”

Tony and Thor freeze, as if remembering something, similar to how Loki and Thor used to get when one of them said something. They had learned long ago, before they even learned that they were adopted, that they were mutants. Loki could create illusions, and Thor could create lightning. When they would learn how to do things, they would freeze much as Tony and Thor were now, but they quickly shook it off, Tony turning to show the tablet.

“It’s code,” Tony said as he got back to work. “I think. For some reason I keep getting headaches and flashes of numbers that look like code, so I’ve been putting it all together on my tablet to try and see what it might be.”

Thor cranes his neck to try to get a better look, while Loki hums and returns to looking at his nails. He was thinking about a prank he could pull before they got off the plane. Maybe Tony would be a good person to prank, if he was lucky.

XxXXxX

Natasha Miller was already bored. She was at the airport with her guardian, Marcus Miller, who was taking her with him on a hunting trip in Washington. Well, Marcus was going on a hunting trip, she was going to a summer camp.

“Just behave,” Marcus told her as they got on the plane. “I don't want to hear you made a knife and stabbed one of your cabin mates. Again.”

“She tried to touch my hair,” Natasha told him, rolling her eyes. “After I had to tell her no. Several times. And I warned her.”

“You can be scary,” he admitted. “But at least try to make friends. I heard one of my cousins just moved to the area, and his son is going to the camp to.”

“Really? Who?”

“John. The gay one in Kansas. You haven’t met him or his partner and kid. You know, the kid should be at that camp to. He’s about your age.”

“What’s his name?” Natasha asks as they stand in line to get on the plane.

“Clint.”

Natasha froze, her eyes wide as she could hear explosions and screams, the stomps of feet on pavement, far off, like an echo. Her own voice soon joined the noise, only… older, and far off as if she was just listening in.

_Clint, where are you?_

Another voice, male, soon fallowed.

_Sorry, Natasha._

Natasha.

Natasha…

“Natasha?”

“Huh?” She turned, looking up at Marcus, who frowned at her. “Sorry, I was just thinking about Budapest. Or New York. I can’t exactly remember.”

He gave her an odd look. “We’ve never been to Budapest, or New York. Sometimes, I worry about you kid.”

She frowned, and followed him on, looking for her own seat after Marcus had sat down. She would supposedly be in the middle seat, most likely between two strangers for five hours. She really hoped it would only be five, anyway…

When she found her row, there was already a boy sitting there, one with somewhat messed brown hair, along with a line of drool down the corner of his mouth. He was still asleep, probably having been on the past two hours, from New York. Natasha sighed, stuffing her carry on bag into the overhead compartment before sitting down in the center seat. She just hoped the guy wasn’t a complete idiot.

Just as she got comfortable, someone sat down on her other side. Natasha turned to look, finding a very, very familiar looking boy her age sitting there, looking nervously back at her. He was blond, with an old fashioned haircut, and very broad shoulders. His blue eyes were also very familiar.

“Sorry,” he said. “But… Do I know you?”

She shook her head, turning forward as casually as possible, and pulling a girls magazine out of the rack on the back of the seat in front of her. He was to familiar, but from where, she couldn’t place. It was extremely confusing.

“Oh,” the boy breathed. “Sorry. I’m Steve, by the way. Steve Parker.”

“Natasha Miller,” she says with a glance at him.

Steve shot her a smile, showing off pearly white teeth. “It’s nice to meet you, Natasha. That’s my cousin, Peter. He uh, likes spiders to.” When Natasha looked at him, curious, he just points to the spider on her jacket. “I saw that and I thought-”

“You aren’t wrong,” She admits, thoughtfully. “My classmates gave me the nickname ‘Black Widow’ because everyone I’ve dated leaves in physical pain after we break up.”

He once again gains a far off look, but soon shakes his head, pushing the thought aside. “So, Seattle? What are you going to be doing in Washington?”

“My guardian is going on a hunting trip,” Natasha says before she can catch herself. For some reason… she trusted this boy. “I’ll be going to a summer camp by a lake.”

“Lake Crescent?”

She narrowed her eyes, studying the way he grinned. “Yes, why?”

“Peter and I are going to that camp to, while my mom is at a reunion.”

She hummed thoughtfully, frowning as she turned back to her magazine. This boy… he was to familiar. Much too familiar. And so was that name Marcus told her earlier. Clint… It was confusing, and concerning…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New question for this chapter! Do you think Loki will change them all back into adults, or will they be stuck as teens?  
> Remember, you have until the end of the next chapter to answer question one!


	4. Clint’s Investigation and Bruce’s Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint does a little digging on his will be roommates. Then, Bruce gets a little anxious when some kid mentions super heroes.

Clint Davis was bored as hell. He and his fathers had moved from their farm in Kansas to a farm in Washington, where his fathers would plant lavender and berries. Since it was the middle of summer, and they didn’t have anything to plant, Clint had been planning on exploring the area, maybe set up his archery stuff, but no! His father's’ send him to a dumb as fuck summer camp.

He just wanted to do archery, practice some archery tricks, but he had to go to a summer camp. And he hated it.

He had to ride in a car for hours, with a suitcase next to him, and his bow and quiver at home.

His fathers were talking about some family member that would be there, a Natalie Miles or something. Not that he cared. Girls were annoying.

When they got to the camp, there was a really excited guy named Adam there, who wouldn’t be  quiet.

Adam ended up being the camp leader. Well, his leader anyway. He showed Clint to the cabins, which surrounded a large rectangular gazebo. He and all the other boys there for the summer program would be be staying in Raccoon Cabin. And hopefully not murdering each other. Clint just hoped his five roommates would be cool, and he wouldn’t want to make a bow and shoot them.

As he was the first to arrive, Clint got the chance to look around, and choose his bed. Plus, learn a little about his field group. Which meant sneaking into the main office and into the records room. So as soon as he ditched Adam, he climbed a good sized Douglas Fir, and started moving from tree to tree. He had spent a lot of his childhood doing similar things in the woods behind their farm in Kansas.

Once he was over the main office, he dropped as silently as possible onto the roof, looking around for a second before hurrying over to what looked to be a vent. He opened the large hatch, grinning when he found the vents to be just the right size for him to worm around in. Just like at the Tower.

He paused as he was lowering himself in, frowning. Tower? He’d never been to a big city before...

Quickly, he shook his head, crawling through the vents to the records room. It didn’t take long, and the vent opened just over a filing cabinet that he jimmied open. Luckily, the cabinet had this summer's files in it, and Clint pulled out the file labeled ‘Adam-Field Group’.

He flipped it open with ease, and flicked past his papers to ones he didn’t know.

Anthony James Johnson, Steven Richard Parker, Peter Benjamin Parker, Thor Marcus Young, Loki Lotus Young, Natasha Jessica Miller, Bruce Thomas Adams.

For a moment, Clint just frowned at the list, squinting at the names. Thor and Loki were strange names, and even though they seemed oddly familiar, Clint would have remembered if he met someone with a name like either of those. But all but one of those names were familiar. Anthony, Steven, Natasha, Bruce, Thor, Loki… It didn’t make sense!

There was a sound from the close door behind him,  and he quickly, but quietly, closed the cabinet, the folder in hand as he jumped back into the vent, closing it. A secretary came in, grabbing a new pen before leaving. Clint got down, made a few quick copies of the file, before putting it back and leaving all together.

He needed to get back to his cabin, before his roommates come back.

Rolling up the papers, Clint stuffed them into the pocket of his hoodie, and ran across the roof, jumping off. He rolled into the landing, taking off running as soon as he was up right. No one seemed to notice, but Clint didn’t care. He had what he had gone in for.

Mission completed!

He skidded to a stop in front of his cabin, blinking in confusion. Mission? Why did…

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the cabin door opened, and Clint looked up the steps to see a boy his age, a boy matching the picture of one of the files in his pocket. Bruce Adams.

XxXXxX

Bruce Adams really didn’t want to go to Washington. He was dangerous, and… concerned that he might accidentally hurt someone. He and his two mothers were going down to Washington for an evaluation. Well, his Mama was going for an evaluation, he would be going to a summer camp. She was a mutant, too.

But Bruce knew nothing about his mutation, only that he was dangerous if he didn’t keep his emotions under control. And since the lived in the middle of nowhere in Alaska, just outside of Fairbanks, he didn’t really worry much. But being stuck in a room with six other guys was probably a bad idea.

He went anyway, since his Mama wanted him to. She said it would be a good experience. So there he was, organizing his stuff in his cabin, and trying not to look at any of the stuff on one of the other beds. One of his roommates were already here…

Once his stuff was tucked neatly into a corner of the bunk, Bruce made his way out, opening the door to find a boy at the bottom of the steps. He looked dazed and… eerily familiar.

Arrow man, something grunted in the back of his mind, and Bruce forced himself not to think about it. It would give him a headache.

The boy looked at him, clearly studying him, and he returned the favor. The boy was a dirty blond, with hair that stuck up and haunting brown eyes. Those eyes held secrets, and maybe not even secrets he knew they did. He was dressed in dusty but tight jeans, with an hoodie on. The pocket was puffed out a little, so it was clear he was hiding something inside it. Bruce, always observant, also noticed that he had calluses on his fingertips and palms, showing he spent a lot of time working with his hands or doing some kind of sport. Both seemed likely, since Bruce could see little scars in the boy's arm from where something had snapped repeatedly, so archery, and he had somewhat of a farmer's tan, so he probably lived in the area.

“Uh,” the boy said dumbly after a second, then shook his head. “Sorry, I’m, uh, Clint. Clint Davis.”

“Bruce Adams,” he tells him, walking down the steps, holding his hand out carefully.

Clint grinned, grasping his hand tight as he shakes it, then throws his hand around Bruce’s shoulders. “So where you from, Brucey?”

“Alaska. My Mama is here for, uh, work.”

“You mean a Mutie Eval,” Clint says, grinning when Bruce turned to him in shock. He pulled a roll of papers from his hoodie pocket. “I snuck into the records room and looked at everyone’s files. Don't worry, Bruce, I don’t care. I mean, think off all the great mutants in the world. Like, the Fantastic Four!”

“You guys talking about heroes?” Someone in the gazebo asks. “I still think the original Avengers were better than the Fantastic Four and the X-Men.”

Bruce frowned, rolling the name in his mind as he tried to place it. Avengers? Who were the Avengers?

Clint seemed to have a similar thought because he actually asked. “Who are the Avengers?”

The boy in the gazebo gaped at them, looking horrified. “Did you guys live under a rock or something?!”

“Alaska,” Bruce says carefully.

“Kansas,” Clint says with a shrug.

The boy stares at them, then rubs his face. “The original Avengers were, _are_ , the world's mightiest heroes! But they disappeared about fifteen years ago! No one knows where they are right now. Some say they went into space with Thor to help fight an Asgardian war. Others say they quit and gave up, but that would mean Tony Stark is missing, and raises more questions. But a lot of people think they’re dead.”

Clint blinked, glancing at the paper in his hand then at the boy. “Thor?”

“Yeah, buff blond guy. Talks funny. But he’s so cool! Has this hammer and-”

“Sorry,” Clint said as he started to lead Bruce away. “We have to, uh, go meet with our group leader! He’ll want to know that one of our group members are here!”

Bruce blinks, glancing over his shoulder at Clint as the Kansas boy led him away. They walked for a while, Clint leading him as far from other kids and adults as possible. He stopped, looked around quickly before turning to Bruce completely, unrolling the paper.

“Our roommates,” Clint says, holding out the paper. “One of them, his name is Thor. He has a brother named Loki. I don’t know why, but something doesn’t seem right about this. And I saw your face when he said Avengers. You feel it too, don’t you?”

He swallowed, shifting uncomfortably as the thing inside him rolled over. No, no he had to push it out of his mind. He didn’t know anything about the Avengers, nothing at all!

“No,” Bruce says as he starts to head back to the cabin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

And with, Bruce turned away from Clint, trying to sooth the thing inside him. He was… concerned that if he lingered on the topic too long, the thing would come out, take control like Mama warned. He had bigger concerns than the… heroes Clint and that boy had mentioned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q4: Do you think Bruce with Hulk out before he can remember?  
> Also, last chance to answer question one!


	5. Tony’s Flirting and Natasha’s Scowl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finds a cute blond at the airport after landing and decides to flirt a little. Natasha is antisocial and stumbles upon something she somehow hadn't seen before.

By the time the plane landed, Tony had become pretty good friends with Loki and Thor. Thor seemed like a good friend to have on the social front, while Loki was good on the intellectual front. They all got along great, and got off the plane together, Tony waving goodbye to them as he went to his Aunt Skye. 

“Tony,” she says, sounding concerned. “Who were those boys?” 

“Just a pair of brothers I met on the plane,” Tony says waving his hand dismissively. “Thor and Loki. They’re here to visit an aunt while their parents get divorced.” 

Aunt Skye stared at him, looking pale as she pulled out her phone. She didn’t say anything as she led the way from the gateway, and to the luggage belt. Tony shrugged it off, going around the belt to look for his suitcase, hoping nothing was broken. He would need his chargers and what not to use his tablet later, and finish putting down that code. 

Another plane had also landed, and the belt behind Tony was soon filled with people. One person in particular, however, caught Tony’s eye. The boy was tall, muscular, and had blue eyes that he wanted to drown himself in. This boy was hot, so very hot, and Tony watched as the boy walked up to the belt behind him, probably to look for his own suitcase. 

Unable to resist, Tony ran a hand threw his hair, did a breath check, then slid up next to the blond. “Hey there hot stuff,” Tony says with his best smile. “I’m Tony.” 

The blond blinked at him for a second before speaking. “I’m Steve…?” 

Tony smirked, moving to lean against the belt as he looked the boy, Steve, over. He looked like something out of a wet dream, and dear god Tony wanted to have a dream about Steve. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hunk. You free anytime soon?” 

“Yes,” Steve blurted, then grew beet red. “I mean, no! I mean… I’m here for summer camp?” 

Tony grinned, amazed at how lucky he was. This guy wasn’t just hot, but interested and going to a summer camp? It was a miracle. “Let me guess, Lake Crescent?” 

“Yes, actually, how did…” 

“My Aunt/Guardian has some work to do in the area, and thought it would be splendid idea to send me to the camp.” Tony glanced over Steve’s shoulder, spotting his bag on the belt. “See you later, muscles~” 

He gave Steve a wink, and walked passed him, grabbing his bag before going to his Aunt, who was whispering quietly on the phone, her bag already in her hand. She looked upset about something, and glanced at Tony as she lowered her voice even more. 

“I should have been told,” Aunt Skye says as she turns her back to Tony. “This could change everything. We can’t know for sure if- What do you mean it’s all of them? All of them as in all of them are- Oh god, this is going to end badly. So, so badly. Listen, we’ll talk later. I have to get Tony onto the bus out to the camp. Yes, I get that, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. Alright, thank you.” 

She hung up, turning to Tony who looked up at her expectantly. All he got in return was a smile and a hair ruffle. Tony quickly pulled back, trying to smooth out his hair as he glance over his shoulder. He had to stay looking his best. If he was lucky, and he usually was, Steve might be interested in sneaking off at some point during the summer and do something with just the two of them. 

Aunt Skye rolled her eyes at him, and led the way out of the airport. She ruffled his hair again when they reached the bus that would take him on the four hour ride to the camp. Tony glared at his Aunt, fixing his hair again, before climbing onto the small bus. There were already a few teens onboard, and Tony instantly recognized two of them. He grinned, walking down the little iale to the empty seat in front of Thor and Loki. They looked up at him as he sat down, Thor grinning while Loki gave him a small nod. 

Tony looked out the window, watching as Steve and another boy approach the bus with a somewhat older looking woman. The woman gave Steve and the boy a hug each, and they climbed on board after a redheaded girl who had said something to a scruffy looking man. Steve glanced at Tony when he got on, then pushed the other boy into the front seat behind the driver, two rows in front of Tony. 

“Steve!” The other boy shouted in protest as he was pushed against the window. “What the heck?!” 

“Quiet Peter,” Steve hissed softly. “That guy I told you about is right behind us.” 

Tony couldn’t help but grin at that. Steve had already told somebody that he had flirted with him? That had to be good news. The other boy, Peter, turned his head, looking over the seat at Tony. Steve instantly tugged on his arm, glancing back at Tony with a blush. He turned around almost instantly, face red. 

Oh yes, this was very good news. It meant Tony had a chance. And Tony would very much like to take that chance~

XxXXxX

When she got on the bus, Natasha noticed three people who looked all too familiar. The big, buff, long haired blond boy, the lanky long haired boy next to him, and the boy sitting in front of them. She was rather uncomfortable with how two of them twisted her insides, in a way only Steve seemed to. 

It was an oddly familiar feeling, giving her a sense of deja vu, and she tried not to think about it as she sat in the empty seat up front, turning to her phone. For a summer report, she was supposed to summarize an important event of her choice that had happened in the time that she had been born. She was having trouble finding anything interesting, something she hadn’t heard of before, which was hard, since she didn’t find much she hadn’t already heard of. 

Currently, she was using google search to try and find something, but that proved to be fairly pointless. That is, until she found a news article titled ‘Billionaire hero missing?’ It was dated for about fifteen years ago, when she would have been one. Curious, she opened the link to the online article, and instantly started reading. 

_ Billionaire, genius, playboy, philanthropist, superhero Tony Stark has been missing from both Stark Industries and the skies for the last month, and people are starting to notice.  _

_ Sources tell us that Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, hasn’t appeared at a single charity event or Avengers fundraiser, two things that he’s commonly seen at when out of the Iron Man suit. The suit, also, hasn’t been seen in quite some time, even when the remainder of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (SHIELD) had attacked the neo-Nazi Hydra base two weeks ago.  _

_ New SHIELD director, Agent Phillip Coulson doesn’t reveal anything when asked about Mr. Stark.  _

_ “Mr. Stark and the other Avengers are very busy defending our planet from not just national threats, or international threats, but extraterrestrial threats as well.”  _

_ Afterward, he refused to speak to us, and hasn’t given any information to use since then. But he does bring up another good point.  _

_ The main Avengers team has also been absent from the field. This team includes five others besides Iron Man, one of which is an extraterrestrial himself. The secondary team members, made up of only Colonel James Rhodes (War Machine) and Sam Wilson (Falcon), have taken the team's place in defending the world.  _

_ But if the original team does not return, will the two be enough? And what about the technology produced by Stark Industries?  _

_ Only time will be able to answer these very pressing questions.  _

At the bottom of the article was a group photo of six people, with a label at the top. From left to right: Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers,Thor Odinson, Clint Barton. 

Natasha stared at the image of the Natasha Romanov, finding her own scowl looking back at her. Only… older. She and this other Natasha looked almost like twins, or maybe clones. Then she looked at the others in the photo, taking a few seconds to hold her phone up to compare Thor to the long haired blond boy. They were literally exactly the same, not a single difference. Same hair, same eyes, face shape, body type. Hell, even the wide toothy grin was the same! Natasha turned, subtly doing the same for the boy in front of him and for Steve. The boy looked quite a bit like Tony Stark, just younger and without the beard, while Steve was nearly an exact replica of Steve Rogers, with only a small difference in hair style. 

Quickly, she turned to face forward as Peter glanced her way. She had things to look up now. Many, many things. It was very concerning what she may have just found, and she needed to look into it more. She searched each of the names on the list, finding information on all of them. Especially Stark. 

She scowled at her phone as they pulled into the camp. Natasha… she didn’t remember, but she knew what was going on. She wasn’t Natasha Miller from Michigan. She was the Black Widow. She didn’t know how, or why, but she knew it. And she would figure it out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q5: Where you expecting her to just remember everything?  
> Also, thank you to an Anon who reminded me to think about the media and how they might have reacted. I had completely forgot.  
> Remember, if you have any questions about something in the fic, just post it in the comments, and I'll answer it if I can. Don't want to spoil anything for you!  
> In case you're wondering, I am working on this as I'm posting, and at the current point I have through chapter seven ready. The reason I'm taking so long between post is that for school I'm taking mostly AP or advanced classes, and wont have as much time to work on this as I had during the summer when I started, and need time to write more.


	6. Steve’s Date and Clint’s Partner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve takes a chance and goes on a date. Clint has a chat with an old friend.

Steve spent most of the bus ride fidgeting. He tried not to, he really did, but Tony made him nervous. But it was a… good nervous? Steve was actually kind of excited. For some reason, he felt like he could trust Tony, and he was pretty sure he was bi anyway, so why not give Tony a chance? 

Peter grinned at him most of the way, giving him little rib nudges with his elbow. Of course Peter thought it would be a great idea to go on a date with Tony. His cousin had been trying to set him up with people since he had gotten muscles. None had seemed right to Steve, so he didn’t bother with most of them after the first date. But he could trust Tony for some reason. 

“I could totally sneak you guys out a picnic basket,” Peter said in a whisper. “I can wall crawl up to the roof and find an air vent of something and get you guys some of the dinner. It would be a great first date.” 

Steve sighed, rubbing at his face. It would be about dinner time when they got there… His mother had given both of them an itinerary provided by the camp, and they would arrive about an hour before dinner, in which their time was to be spent getting there bunks set up after a short roll call and tour. It wouldn’t take Steve long to get his bunk ready, so he could probably get Peter’s together while his cousin got the dinner ready. It wasn’t that bad of an idea. 

When they finally reached their destination, they all climbed off the bus, finding three adults and about 12 teens with them. Two of the adults had several teens already gathered around them, while one had only two. They all had a clipboard in hand, smiling. 

“Alright newcomers,” One of the two shouted. “I’m Adam! Now, you're all probably very tired, but we have a lot to do before dinner! So we’re going to have our nice attendants move all out your stuff to the gazebo while we do a little tour. We’re going to separate you into groups of seven, which will also align with your roommates. Now, since there’s only five girls this year, all you ladies will be able to have your own room.

“Now, in my group I have Clint Davis, Bruce Adams, Natasha Miller, Thor and Loki Young, Steven and Peter Parker, and Anthony Johnson!” 

“It’s Tony,” Tony says, sounding irritated. “Just call me Tony.” 

Adam grins, stuffing his clipboard into his bag.“Well kids, let's get a move on! There’s a lot to see and only so much time.” 

He turned, and Steve shuffled after him, looking for a good spot to meet up with Tony later. They all followed after Adam as he shows them around. They saw the docks, the free time field, the dining hall and finally the entrance to the trail. Steve paused look into the trail, squinting as he saw a fork in the trail. It would be a good spot to meet Tony later. 

As they started to make their way towards the cabins and the gazebo, Steve moved to walk next to Tony, who looked at him as if surprised.

“A bit into the trail,” Steve says in nearly a whisper, not looking at Tony, “there’s a fork. Meet me there when everyone goes to dinner.” 

Tony stared at him as he walked ahead of them, Adam dismissing them to go to their cabins. Steve grabbed his suitcase and carry on, carrying it effortlessly to the cabin labeled Racoon, and up the steps. He and Peter would be in room 2 with the other boys, and found two beds already made. There were eight in total, four bunks, so Steve and his cousin took control of the bunk closest to the window. Peter took top, while Steve took the bottom. 

The other boys soon followed. Tony was talking excitedly with the dark haired boy that had already been here, and took the bunk above what most have been the boys. The blond boy with long hair took the bottom of the empty bunk, while the other boy took the one above the long haired blond. 

Peter left soon after to find a way into the kitchen, and Steve fixed up the bunks before heading out to. Tony watched him go from his own bunk, fiddling with a tablet. Steve glanced at him as he left, giving him a smile as he left. The astonished but happy look Steve got in return was so worth it. 

He walked out of the cabin, passing by the blond boy he had seen earlier, who was currently talking quietly with Natasha. They looked up at him as he passed, just… watching as he went by. Steve didn’t bother asking them why, and continued to the trail entrance, finding Peter there with a cloth bag. 

“It’s pasta,” Peter says, holding it out. “I managed to get just enough for two. Along with a few pieces of garlic bread.” 

Steve smiled, taking the bag. “Thank you, Peter. I’ll talk to you about it later. If they ask where we are, can you-” 

“Don’t worry, Steve. I’ve got you covered.” 

“Thanks Peter.” 

And with that he turned, heading along the trail to stand by the fork in the path. He waited, ducking out of view when someone who wasn’t Tony walked past the trail entrance. Then, much to his relief and glee, Tony came down the trail. Tony stopped in front of him, grinning, and Steve smiled back, holding out his hand. When Tony took it, a brow raised, Steve just smiled and started leading him along the trail. 

“So where are we going?” Tony asked after a bit. “What’s in the bag? I doubt you’d go through all the trouble to kill me. But I am curious as to what we’re actually doing out here.” 

“A first date,” Steve says easily. “If this all works out, maybe we’ll sneak off again, and have a second. As for the bag and where we’re going… We’re going to get a little lost, just you and me, before sitting down for some dinner my cousin managed to steal from the kitchen.” 

He smiled at Steve, and they walked for a while, just… talking. That’s something Steve noticed about Tony though. He talked a lot. Steve actually liked that. He didn’t talk much, anyway, and Tony seemed to always have something interesting or just odd to say. At least talking to Tony would never get boring. 

They stopped after what felt like hours, sitting down on a log next to the trail, Steve pulling out their dinner. It was great, and they ate together until it was gone, then just sat and talked some more. Steve could tell they worked well together, and he knew the next few weeks would be the perfect opportunity to get to know Tony. He already knew a lot about Tony now, like where he’s from, what he wants to do, his favorite food… Steve wondered if maybe he would be willing to do a long distance relationship? He could have Peter help him install Skype if need be. 

Eventually, Tony began to get cold, and Steve took off his own coat, wrapping it around Tony before leading the way back to camp. When they got back to the cabins, Steve gave Tony a light kiss, then left him on the steps to the cabin. He gave the bag to Peter, who was sitting in the gazebo, and sat down with a grin. 

“Good date?” Peter asked, also grinning. 

“Great date,” Steve corrected, laying back on the gazebo bench. “And hopefully there will be many more to follow.” 

Peter simply laughed, shaking his head.

XxXXxX

During the majority of the tour, Clint stared at the girl in his group. She looked so familiar, so disturbingly familiar that he wanted to just go up to her and talk to her. And he would have, to, if she hadn’t come to him first.

“Clint,” She said smoothly, face blank. 

He looked at her, raising a brow. So, she figured out who he was? She seemed like the kind of person to know everything. That was… somewhat concerning. But good. If she did know everything, she would be able to tell him more about why the Avengers had made him feel so strange. 

“Natasha,” Clint responds, leaning against the gazebo. “What can I do for you?” 

“I’m simply looking for information,” she says, pulling out her phone. “What do you know about the Avengers? The original ones, not the five person team of War Machine, Ant Man, Falcon, Lady Jane, and The Winter Soldier.” 

Clint went wide eyed, blinking. The Avengers. So she did know something! But still, the name almost sent a shudder down his spine. And the way Natasha looked at him, as if she could see into his very soul… 

“Not much,” he admits. “Why?” 

“Because I believe I’m right to assume you enjoy archery? And that you enjoy crawling through vents and being in high places.” 

He was immediately on the defensive, eyes narrowed. “How did you know? Even my dads don’t know about the vents.” 

“Because I read an article about you.” 

Natasha turned the phone to him, showing a picture that could have been him, only… older. Clint knew he should wave it off, deny it. He wasn't that old, how could that be him? But his mind betrayed him. He thought ‘yeah, that’s me’. And he didn’t know  _ why _ . 

She seemed to notice the change, notice him tense, and fiddled with with her phone, showing him a group picture. Of six of the eight people in their field group. Only older. And Clint saw himself, Natasha, and Bruce in the group. His mind was now  _ freaking the fuck out _ . 

“What is this?” He asked, taking the phone. “Is this really us?” 

“It’s a group photo of the original six Avengers,” she says, watching him closely. “And I think it is us. But I have a question for you. Does Budapest mean anything to you?” 

He instantly froze, eyes wide as noise surrounded him, sounding far away but right next to him at the same time. 

There was screeching, loud and angry, as well as what sounded like claws on on metal. Natasha’s voice filtered through his brain.

_ Clint, where are you?  _

_ Sorry, Natasha. _

He blinks, staring at her before narrowing his eyes, about to ask how she knew, but a question wasn’t what came out of his mouth. 

“You and I remember Budapest very differently.” 

They both freeze, staring at eachother for a second. Then, unable to hold it in, they both laugh. Well, Clint laughed. Natasha just smiled. He got the feeling she didn’t smile often. 

“I think you’ve told me that before,” Natasha says as she tucked her phone away. She paused to look at Steve as he passed, Clint doing the same. Once he was gone, she turned back to Clint with a smirk. “I’m planning to investigate this further, and I’d like a partner. Think you’d be up for that?” 

Clint smirked, throwing an arm around her. “Natasha,” he says with a grin. “I thought you’d never ask~” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q6: How do you think will happen with Tony and Steve after remembering?  
> I hope that they aren't to OOC, but they're kind of meant to be, since they grew up different ways, with different families.  
> Bonus question: Who do you think is the most different from the way they were before?


	7. Bruce’s People-Watching, the Asgardians’ Argument, and Avengers Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce does some people watching and watches Tony have a little... issue. The brothers have an argument. We see a bit on how those that haven't been changed are taking this.

Bruce wasn’t ready to have so many people around him. He was nervous that someone might accidentally push his buttons and the… thing inside of him would come out. But he was pleasantly surprised by Tony Johnson. 

Tony was very interesting, and the thing in him seemed to like him to. Not like as in crush, but similar to a close friend. So he talked to Tony, relaxed around him, because Tony seemed to keep the thing at bay. 

They became quick friends during the tour, and talked eagerly about science. Tony was good with technology, and wanted to become an engineer. He could oddly see Tony doing just that, and he told Tony about becoming a chemist, or maybe a botanist. He liked plants, after all… 

But Tony left before dinner, and Bruce was left to sit with the group for the hour long meal. He noticed many things in that time. 

First was that the thing didn't like Loki at all. It seemed to sneer at him, from within Bruce’s mind, and growled out garbled partial sentences that Bruce really didn’t understand. Puny god. Hurt Tin Man. Smash. Bruce had to look away from Loki, taking deep breaths as the thing made a half hearted attempt to take control. 

It liked Natasha, though. More than it did Tony, even. When Bruce looked at her, the thing immediately started to calm. Bruce liked her to. She was breathtaking, and her calm demeanor set Bruce at ease. He couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of Clint, who had been right next to her, whispering with her, since they got to the cabins. Did they know each other somehow? 

He tried to shake the thoughts off, but it never did work. He watched Clint and Natasha with slowly growing jealousy. Why didn’t Natasha talk to him? Did she like Clint? 

Eventually, dinner ended, and they wall went back to the cabins. Bruce watched everyone go, opting to stay in his room. Natasha and Clint sat as far from everyone as they could, while the brothers, Thor and Loki, were having what seemed to be an argument. Peter sat in the gazebo, where Steve went when he and Tony returned. 

Bruce watched as his friend- was Tony his friend?- came back in, grinning like mad as he went to his bunk. 

“You and Steve sneak off for a date?” he guessed, pulling out a book to read. 

“Yeah,” Tony says as he pulls out a tablet. “I met him at the airport and I kinda asked him out. I didn’t think he was actually interested but he got his cousin to steal us some food from the kitchen and… It was great.” 

Bruce nodded, flipping through his book before finding where he left off. He hoped Steve didn’t accidentally hurt Tony. Not that it couldn’t be the other way around but… With the dopey, lovesick look in Tony’s face, it was doubtful that Tony would do anything to jeopardize his new found relationship with Steve. But Bruce would try to not get involved. He might give Steve a shovel talk later, but for now, he wouldn’t interfere. So he read his book, listening to Tony tap away at the tablet. 

“What are you doing?” Bruce finally asks, frowning as he got up to look at Tony. 

“For some reason,” Tony says absently as he continues to tap away. “I have this huge line of code scrolling through my head, so I’ve been working to put it down, see what it is. In fact, I’m pretty close to done.” 

Bruce leaned over, trying to get a better look as Tony tapped in a few more bits. The screen instantly went blank, and Tony gaped. Then, the screen was filled with blue, and what looked like some sort of sound analyzer opening up. There was a Stark Industries logo in the top right hand corner, as well as some kind of small GPS map in the left. 

“Sir?” A british voice said suddenly, making the sound bar move. 

“Holy shit!” Tony exclaimed, flipping the tablet away from him and onto the bed. 

Bruce stared, wide eyed, picking up the tablet as the voice spoke again. 

“Sir, what a relief. Are you alright? The pitch of your voice sounds a bit high.” 

“What are you?” Bruce asks as he squints at the GPS. it was hopping around in their area, though it didn’t seem like it was any closer than ten, maybe fifteen miles. 

“Dr. Banner?” The voice says, sounding surprised. “You are with Sir? Miss Potts, Colonel Rhodes, and Mr. Wilson have all been looking for you. The Global Positioning System seems to be unable to get more than a twelve mile radius. Could you tell me where you are?” 

“No way!” Tony shouts, snatching up the tablet. Bruce could see he was stark white, and the thing inside of him laughed a little. Stark… “Not a chance, Bond. I don’t know what shit you’re trying to pull, but no way you’re finding us!” 

And with that, Bruce watched in horror as Tony smashed the tablet against the railing of his bunk, destroying it. He stared, watching as Tony took deep, heavy breaths, wide eyed. He turned to Bruce, swallowing. Bruce could only stare at him, mind reeling. 

Why had Tony reacted that way? What was that? Why did the voice call him Doctor Banner? 

But he knew why, and it made him sick. 

_ Remember? _ The other guy asked as Bruce hurried from the cabin. 

_ Yes, _ he thought back.  _ I remember. _

XxXXxX

Loki and Thor rarely argue. Well, not rarely, persay, but it was uncommon enough that when they were chatting after dinner, and Loki snapped at his brother, it worried them both, on some level. 

THey were both standing not far from their cabin, facing each other as they tried to keep their voices down. 

“I do not mean to anger you, Brother,” Thor says as he grabs his brother's shoulder. “But it is something we must talk about.” 

“No,” Loki hissed, pulling away from Thor. “No, it is not! The dreams are unimportant, and you are a simple minded oaf!” 

“I am no such thing,” Thor snapped back. “Brother, the dreams are strong. Magic, even. And I can sense the similarities between your magic and the dreams. It is not a coincidence, is it?” 

“What would you know? You with your simple lightning. I know magic, you do not. The dreams are nothing. They mean nothing. It is not my fault.” 

Thor gaped at his brother, eyes wide as he stared. “Brother… What did you do?” 

Loki stiffened, eyes wide. Then, he grit his teeth, turning and fleeing. Thor did not stop him, clenching his fists as he watched his brother go. Something had happened to them, and while the dreams were nothing new, they were grow more intense. So intense, that Thor was beginning to wonder if they really were dreams.

A drop of rain fell, causing Thor to look up. Storm clouds were beginning to swirl above him, and he quickly took a deep breath, calming himself. The clouds disappeared, leaving him to sigh, thinking about what had just happened. Loki knew something. And even though Thor had no idea what, he would find out. And he’d figure out those dreams, to. 

XxXXxX

Colonel James Rhodes, also known as War Machine or Rhodey, was not having a good day. Well, he hadn’t had a good day in over fifteen years, but this one was particularly bad. He had been the leader of the secondary Avengers for nearly fourteen years, and had led the team for much longer than he had hoped. 

When Tony and the Avengers disappeared, the press had a field day freaking out. When would they be back? Would they ever come back? Where were they? Had they run away? Did they retire? If so, why so soon?

Rhodey had been left to answer questions he didn’t know the answer to, and after being sleep deprived from looking for Tony for three days, he hadn’t had a filter. He stupidly told them he didn’t know, and everything went to shit. The metaphorical shit hit the proverbial fan, and Rhodey was left with a team of two, missions out the wazoo, and a missing best friend. He and Pepper had tried accessing the lab to look, but it hadn’t worked. 

He had Pepper had gotten closer than ever before, and had been in a… somewhat healthy relationship for the past ten years. They wanted to get married, really, but Rhodey and Pepper both knew that they couldn’t without Tony there as the Best Man. 

Pepper blamed herself, sometimes. Just before Tony disappeared, they had gotten into a huge fight, one that ended their relationship. The worst part was, Tony was the one that ended it, the one that left. It made it a bit easier for Pepper to move on to another relationship, finding Rhodey, but she wouldn’t forgive herself until Tony was back. Because she was the one that made him leave. He had walked out that door, and he disappeared. 

Sam hadn’t taken the loss of his new best friend well either, and with the Captain gone, he left SHIELD training, as well as military training, and became an Avenger full time. Hell, Sam even recruited Scott Lang, the Ant Man, and found the Winter Soldier and helped Jane Foster fix him up! James Buckman Barnes, or Bucky as Steve had called him, was now free of his brainwashing. 

Sam and Bucky argued all the time, sure, but they were… acquaintances? It was kind of hard to tell with them. 

Jane might have had it worse, though. Not long after everyone had disappeared, she was in her house/trailer when Mjolnir came crashing through her bedroom wall. Apparently, Thor had gone to her after he had returned to Earth. She had yelled at him for a while, before Thor had apologized, and apparently got very formal and serious. He’d said some things about him not being worthy to hold her, and then said something about proving his worth since she already had. 

She hadn’t entirely understood what that had meant, until the hammer came crashing through her wall after the disappearance. She had just stared at it, then called Pepper to ask her for help. The hammer was in the middle of her bed, god damn it, and she had had a hard week! She just wanted to go to bed! Pepper had told her that Rhodey would be there soon, to help her figure it out. She ended up getting impatient and grabbed the handle to see if maybe, just maybe, she could move it just enough to get it off her bed. 

Turned out that, all that stuff Thor had to her about being worthy of the hammer was him telling the hammer that Thor thought she was worthy to wield it. Rhodey had found her standing in full Asgardian magical armor, waving the hammer around as she kept accidentally sending lightning everywhere. She’d followed Rhodey back to the Tower, calling Darcy to join her later. 

But right now, Rhodey was sitting at the meeting table of the Conference room of the tower. They hadn’t touched the top seven floors, not for fifteen years. They were the original teams floors, as well as a communal team floor. Rhodey doubted they would ever go up there again if they never found the original Avengers. 

They were all currently researching their own theories, their own dead end leads, Jane leaving earlier to do some research on a few sudden thunderstorms in Florida the day before. When Jarvis spoke up, everyone present gave him their full attention. He had remained functioning, even though the lab and everything in it went silent. 

“Colonel,” the AI said urgently. “I have just spoken with Sir and Dr. Banner.” 

“What?” Rhodey shouted as he jumped to his feet. “How? Where are they?!” 

“Before his disappearance, Sir had the thought that if he were to have amnesia, he would need a way to remember. He ingrained a special code into his mind that would open a link with myself and a Global Positioning System.” 

“Well, where is he?” Bucky asked irritably, scowling. “If Stark and that Banner guy are together, maybe Steve and the others are with them.” 

“I did not hear the others,” Jarvis said slowly. “And I can not locate them as the program connected with the code has such an old GPS. However, I have an area that they may be in, with a twelve mile radius. It is in Washington, near a body of water.” 

“They’re in DC?” Scott asked with a frown. “I thought we already checked there.” 

“Washington State, Mr. Lang. However there is one problem.” 

“What is it, Jarvis?” Rhodey asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“Colonel, though I did recognize both Sirs and Dr. Banners voices, they were a bit higher, as though in their teen years.” 

The room fell silent, everyone absorbing that information. Teen years. It’s been fifteen years. Tony and Bruce sounded like they were in their teenage years and it’s been fifteen years. Rhodey’s mind instantly jumped to conclusions. Tony hadn’t just disappeared fifteen years ago. He’d been turned into a fucking baby and kidnapped! But that was crazy… 

So was Loki.

“Who has any idea where Loki is?!” Rhodey said as he jumped up. 

The others (well, not Scott) seemed to have the same idea, and Bucky jumped up to go get his gun while Sam grabbed his phone, making a call to Director Coulson. Rhodey hurried off to make a call to Pepper, while Scott simply looked around in confusion, then down at the dog sized ant he was hiding under the table. 

“I know we’ve been here a while,” Scott says as the ant tilts its head at him. “But they sure are weird, huh buddy?” 

“Mr. Lang, the Colonel does not like it when you enlarge the ants and let them out of your room for anything besides missions.” 

“Shh,” Scott says placing both hands on the ants head. “He’s my daughters. I’m just watching him for the day while she’s taking her AP exams.” 

“Mr. Lang” Jarvis says with a sigh. “I have a reminder set to tell you that you must depart soon. You have volunteered to assist in a summer camp with Doctor Foster. I suggest leaving now. The jet’s autopilot has been set with the coordinates that you are to go to. I will tell the Colonel of your departure.” 

“Oh, right.” Scott got up, going to the fridge to get some oranges for the road. And with that, he left, leading his daughter's pet ant to the hanger on the floor below, his things already there and ready to go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q7: How do you think everyone will take it to find out that Coulson had been lying to them all? What about when they find out that Steve was practically right under their noses?  
> The part about Jane was added late, so my apologizes if it doesn't seem to fit in completely right. I got the idea from the comic, Jane being able to wield Mjolnir. In the comics, Thor was able to name people he trusted worthy of the hammer, so I figured 'if the current Avengers have no clue where they are, then Mjolnir can't be at the SHIELD base'. Thus, Jane gets the hammer, and Lady Jane was born


	8. Steve’s New Boyfriend and Clint’s Observations.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve really does like Tony, even if he's odd sometimes. Clint does some observing.

Steve was eager to start the new day. He had had another vision like dream, and he was eager to forget it. There had been Tony, encased in some kind of red and gold metal suit, lying still and silent. He had been barely breathing, and it scared Steve. He actually liked Tony, he didn’t want him to get hurt... 

He looked over at Tony, finding him still asleep, and he smiled nervously to himself. Tony was fine. They were all fine. 

He went to shower first, since he was the only one up and it was five in the morning. Breakfast wasn’t until eight thirty, so he had time to do some drawings in the gazebo. He wanted to draw Tony, so he did. Steve drew Tony doing what he thought he would do at home. Sitting at a desk as he fiddles with something, him sitting at a table with the woman Steve saw him with. 

Hours must have passed without him noticing, because after a while, arms wrapped around him, and a head landed on his shoulder. 

“Hey Steve,” Tony practically cooed in his ear. “What are you drawing? Is that me?” 

Steve blushed, a shiver running down his spine. “Oh, uh, yeah. Do you like it?” 

It was a drawing of Tony from the night before, during their date. He was laughing at something Steve had said, sitting on a log. Tony was clearly the main subject, with the only bright colors in the drawing. The forestry around him seemed to be dull in comparison, though they would have been beautiful with some lighter colors. 

“I love it,” Tony says, pressing a kiss to Steve’s cheek. “So what are you doing out here, drawing me?” 

“Well,” Steve says nervously as he looks from the drawing to Tony. “I was thinking about what, um, this thing is and…” 

“This thing?” Tony asks, raising a brow. “You mean us?” 

Steve nodded. He was worried it would be a one time deal, since Tony had seemed like he had wanted… well, sex when Tony flirted with him at the airport. But Tony smiled, taking the drawing book and walking around Steve before plopping down into his lap. 

“Pretty sure we’re dating,” Tony said as he flipped through the book. “That okay, Mr. Muscles?” 

He smiled, nodding as he wrapped an arm around Tony, taking back the sketch book to put the finishing touches on the drawing of Tony. 

They sat like that for a good while, Tony just watching him draw as the others slowly woke up. The gazebo was soon filled with people, all chatting and talking. Peter came over to sit with them, and he and Tony seemed to get along quite well. Steve was grateful for that, since he didn’t have a clue what he would do without his cousin. He knew that it would be hard to keep the relationship, with long distance. The only way they could live farther apart was if one of them left the country, but they’d make it work. 

When eight thirty rolled around, they went to breakfast, and got the rundown for the day. Adams group would be going on a hike to the falls before coming back for lunch then going on a canoe. It would be nice. Steve would get to see something beautiful with Tony, and he would get to sit with Peter while the were in the Canoe. After dinner, there was going to be guest speakers, who would tell them about weather and… ants? Steve didn’t really understand that at first.

When they started the hike it had been pretty nice, until Adam stopped them to play a game. He put pieces of tape on their backs with something written on them, and they had to treat that person as if it was true. Everyone got pretty into it, and while Steve had no clue what his was, everyone seemed to giggle at him. Hell, Clint and Peter, who were somehow best friends now, swooned at him. 

Peter got ‘is a superhero’, which made Steve laugh, while Clint had ‘smells really bad’. Natasha had ‘doesn’t speak english’, Thor had ‘is a four year old’ and Loki had ‘is 98 and dying’. Bruce ended up with ‘is crying’, which made Steve uncomfortable, but Tony got ‘is super rich’. 

Steve didn’t participate very much, preferring to watch Tony goof around. He made jokes about Clint, and asked Peter for an autograph. He asked Bruce if he wanted him to walk with him, and when he said no, he went to mess with Thor. He generally avoided Loki, but it was when Tony went to mess with Natasha that things got weird. 

“Parlez-vous Français? Qué acerca español?” Tony asked in French, then Spanish. 

He’d told Steve that he took French and Spanish during the school year. It was when Natasha gave Tony a look and Tony tried again that things got really weird. 

“Not taking to romance languages?” Tony asked jokingly. “Bet your a Russian kind of person. Вам говорят по-русски? Это очень агрессивный язык, я думаю. Как немецкий.” 

Natasha turned to him, raising a brow. “Тони, ты смешной. Оставьте меня в покое, прежде чем я капитан землю вам.” 

“Место капитана?” Tony asked, frowning. “Кто ты-? Подождите, я выступаю в России?! Почему я говорю Российской?!” 

Natasha stared at him, then smirked a little, patting his shoulder. “Не волнуйтесь, Старк. В конечном итоге вы будете вычислять его вне.” 

He closed his eyes, shivering as he turned away, hurrying over to Steve. He looked looked scared, and Steve wrapped an arm around him, rubbing his arm to comfort him. He wasn’t entirely sure why he needed to comfort Tony. He just knew Tony was scared from some reason. 

“I didn’t know you spoke Russian,” Steve says with a smile. “That was Russian, right?” 

Tony stiffened under his arm, looking up at Steve then down at the ground. “One of my aunt’s friends is Russian. Can we not mention this again?” 

“Of course.” 

That’s when Tony turned big brown eyes on him. “Carry me?” 

And all Steve could do was sigh. Because, well, he couldn’t say no to that face. So, without any trouble at all, Steve took a step behind Tony and maneuvered him onto his shoulders, lifting him easily. The others stopped to gaped for a minute as Steve continued walk, as if nothing had changed. 

Steve could feel Tony’s hands gripping his hair, but he didn’t mind. He just knew, somehow, that Tony was grinning like mad, and that was good enough for Steve. 

XxXXxX

Clint watched Tony and Steve curiously. They had just gone on an hour long hike, about half of it up hill to the top of the falls. And Steve still had Tony on his shoulders. And neither seemed to question Steve’s stamina or strength. 

For a second, he wondered if they remembered, but didn’t want to go back. But then he thought better of it. No, from what he read about the Avengers the night before, and during breakfast, Steve wasn’t the kind of guy to just turn a blind eye. If he remembered, he would have done something to help them remember, not dink around with Tony. 

Though, if Stark remembered, he just might not mention anything. From what Clint knew about Tony Stark’s childhood, it was nannies, boarding school away from kids his age, and absent parents. Here, as far as Clint knew, Tony Johnson lived with a loving aunt, had tons of friends his age at public school, and now a boyfriend in Steve Parker. Tony, as smart as he was, had probably figured it all out, but his subconscious, wanting something better than before, was ignoring it, blocking it out. 

And good god, did Tony have a better life here. 

Clint turned to watch the others. Peter Parker didn’t really matter at the moment, as Clint would talk to him later, see if he could get anything out of Steve’s ‘cousin’. He turned his attention to Thor and Loki instead. 

The two brothers hadn’t been talking to each other, and Clint was beginning to wonder if they knew. He and Natasha had been discussing theories of how they got to this point. They both agreed it probably had to do with Loki. If anyone truly remembered, it was probably Loki. He and Natasha would probably corner him later for an interrogation. Thor didn’t really seem like he knew anything, but if the argument with Loki the night before was anything to go by, he was probably having dreams of his life before. If he remembered, Clint and Natasha could use that to figure out a bit more of what happened. 

Bruce was still acting weird. His reaction to that other boy talking about the Avengers showed that he might be remembering as well. From what Clint remembered, though, Bruce had always been a bit worried about the Hulk. Maybe Bruce did know something, and whatever it was, it scared him? It wasn’t impossible, but it was worrying. 

Clint himself only remembered to much. Budapest had been a bit of a trigger, and he remembered most of the Battle of New York, a bit of his original childhood, and some things about SHIELD. The name ‘Phil Coulson’ had kept echoing in his mind, and it made him a bit upset sometimes, though he didn’t understand why. 

Clint shook his head, turning to watch everyone as they stood at the top of the falls. Natasha was talking quietly to Bruce, and she had a strange look on her face. Bruce was a bit red, nodding slowly at what she spoke. 

He turned to watch Tony and Steve, who were being disgustingly loving. They were standing side by side, watching the falls. Every now and then, Steve would give Tony a light peck on the lips, though Tony kept muttering with a grin. 

It made Clint kind of… miserable. He made a guess that it had to do with his old life. Maybe that Phil Coulson guy. 

He… didn’t really want to think about it. 

Clint turned away from everyone, turning to look at Peter, who was taking pictures with his camera. 

“Hey, Pete,” Clint said as he walked over. 

Peter looked at him, grinning. “Hey Clint. Mind if I take your picture?” 

He shrugged, then struck a pose, like he was about to shoot a bow. Peter laughed, taking the picture. He held out the camera, letting Clint see. He was the main focus of the picture, but behind him, he was Steve and Tony, even if they were a bit blurry. 

“This is great Peter,” Clint told him as he started to flip through the pictures. There was Natasha, Bruce, Tony and Steve, and Thor and Loki. It was obvious they didn’t know they were having their picture taken, but they were still great photos. 

“Alright team,” Adam called from the way back down. “Let's head on back for lunch and take that canoe ride!” 

Everyone turned to follow Adam back down, though Clint paused for a second to glance back at the waterfall. It really was beautiful. Maybe he’d come back some day, when he figured out what what exactly was going on. He might bring this Phil Coulson guy, if he ever remembered who he was… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony seems to be acting a little strange... But really, who cares? Steve likes Tony's quirks, and is eager to help him grow. Still... There is the question of how Steve will react to the truth. How will Clint react to Phil? Do you think Clint will understand why Phil did what he did?
> 
> Be ready for a little accidental swimming, some thoughts from Bruce, and some old enemies...


	9. Tony’s Swim, Bruce's Fears, and Arrival of Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony takes a dip in the lake before video calling a friend. Bruce tries to avoid people, but shit starts getting messy.

When they got back to the camp, they all sat down in the field as Peter and Thor made sandwiches. Tony was seated on Steve’s lap, eating a turkey sandwich that Peter had made. Steve had one that Thor had made, and there was way too much meat on it. 

They ate and talked with everyone else, though Bruce and Natasha were talking off to the side for most of lunch. When they finished, Adam gave them a bit of a safety talk, telling them that if they fell in, he would toss a ring into the water that they would have to grab onto. Tony wasn’t really listening. He was mostly looking out onto the water. 

He’d told Steve about not being able to swim. He never had, and never would. 

They all went through the boat house, getting oars and life vests. Steve helped tighten and test his live vest, before they all got onto the boat. It was two to a row, and the front to back went as follows: Thor and Steve, Tony and Peter, Loki and Natasha, Bruce and Clint, and Adam at the rutter. They took off, rowing into the lake. 

Tony was getting more and more anxious. The water kept splashing him, making him nervous. It was so cold… So, so cold...  A shiver ran up Tony’s back, a tight feeling filling his chest as his heart started to beat faster and faster. 

As they reached the center of the lake, a loud drumming filled his ears as Thor accidentally splashed him. He couldn’t hear Thor as he apologized, as voices rang in his ears. It was all in another language, something that sounded familiar, but horribly so. The voices shouted at him, and cold, cold water splashed into his face. 

Tony gasped, the world flashing dark as he jumped up, clawing at his chest, making something click. Someone next to him spoke, and he whipped around, trying to back away from whoever was there. His legs hit something, and he tipped backward. He fell back, falling, falling into the darkness. The world around him exploded, ringing as red and orange flames raged to engulf him. 

Then, strong arms wrapped around him, and suddenly he was gasping for air, coughing as his head breached water. He was pulled backward for a moment, then dragged up and onto a bench. He took deep, heavy breaths as he shivered. 

There were voices, talking around him. The world tilted again, but quickly righted itself as someone sat next to him. Cold, wet hands cupped his cheeks, and another voice joined the others. 

“Tony?”

He blinked, his breath evening out as his vision cleared. Steve was leaning over him, pushing his hair out of his face. 

“Tony, you’re okay,” Steve said as he pushed Tony’s hair back. “It’s okay, you’re okay.” 

“Steve?” Tony croaked. He was half tempted to crack a joke.  _ Please tell me nobody kissed me.  _ But that would be horribly corny, using the same joke twice...

He shiver again, only for Steve to lean in and kiss him. For a second, he was confused. Why was Steve kissing him? They weren’t that close, right? The barely talked outside of when they worked together, and Steve wasn’t… Wasn’t... Then he remembered as Steve pulled away. He was dating Steve. Steve was his boyfriend. They were at camp, on a canoe, on the lake. 

He could hear Adam telling others to do something, but he focused on Steve, who was speaking quickly. 

“What happened?” Steve asked. “You just jumped up and threw off your life vest. And when you fell over, I freaked out and jumped in after you. You could have drowned…” 

Tony slowly sat up, shivering. “I… I don’t know. I just… I think I had an anxiety attack…” 

Steve gave him with look, like he was looking at a kicked puppy, and wrapped an arm around Tony’s shoulder, rubbing his arms to help warm him up. Peter was now in front of them, sitting next to Thor as the group rowed the boat. Adam was letting them sit out, thankfully. They eventually reached the dock, where Adam helped them out of the boat first. 

“Go get into some dry cloths,” Adam said, Steve’s vest for him. “Get warm before you two get sick. Maybe get some tea or coffee from the kitchen.” 

Steve nodded, and led Tony away. They walked together back to the cabin, and though Tony was shivering, Steve seemed just fine. Steve opened the cabin door, ushering Tony in and to their room. He grabbed a set of towels, and some more clothes. Then he led Tony to the bathroom, setting the clothes on the bench outside of the showers, turning away. 

It took Tony a moment to realize that Steve was waiting for him to get in the shower. So he undressed, stepping into the shower and pulling the curtain closed. He turned on the shower, and soon after, the other shower started. Steve must be showering, too. 

Tony let the hot water roll down his body, heating up his cold body. He ignored the shampoo this time, instead quickly washing his body. For a second, he stared at the water swirling down the drain, thinking about Steve in the other stall. Tony knew that he had never been comfortable showering when others were around. He had a scar on his chest, over his heart, that he had never really been sure how he got. Aunt Skye said he might have gotten it in the accident that killed his parents, but she didn’t know for sure. His scar made him uncomfortable, and only his best friend Maggie had ever seen it. 

God, Maggie would freak when she heard about this! He’d known her since they were both five. Maggie was a nerdy kickass girl, normally wearing fandom shirts and jeans, her dad’s old jacket always on. She was his only competition for the top of the grade curve, though she was so focused on her ROTC class, shooting guns and working out with the PT team, she didn’t have much time to study. Tony had promised he’d video call her anytime something big happened, and he knew she would kill him if he kept his near drowning and Steve from her for two long. 

With a sigh, Tony turned off the water, grabbing his towel and drying off his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He stepped out, finding Steve already out, pulling on his pants. He didn’t have a shirt on, and Tony watched the muscles in his back before going to pull on his own cloths. When he was finished getting dressed, he turned to find Steve gathering up their discarded clothes. Tony headed back to the room, Steve soon following. 

“I’m going to go get you a cup of coffee,” Steve said as he wrapped a thick blanket around Tony, pressing a kiss to his temple. “You stay here and finish warming up, alright?” 

Tony nodded, sitting down on Steve’s bunk, watching him leave. He sat for a minute, then remembered Maggie, and quickly moved to his back, pulling out his laptop. The camp had Wifi for the cabins, thank God, but it was kind of shitty. It would have to work, though, and Tony quickly connected to the private video chat program he and Maggie had made. Thankfully, the call went through, and Maggie’s face was soon on the screen. Like always, her glasses were half falling off her face, her blond hair a frizzy, tangled mess. She was still in a baggy t-shirt that Tony knew she used for a pajama shirt. 

“Tony,” she said with a grin, her blue eyes shining. “Dude it’s great to see you! When you comin’ back? The boys are all idiots!” 

“Not until the end of the summer, Mags. You’ll have to deal with RJ’s math incompetence for a while longer.” 

“Damn. Well, what’s up? How’s camp so far?” 

“Well, some stuff has happened already,” Tony said as Steve opened the door, carrying a cup of Coffee and a cup of tea. “And here’s one of those things now.” 

“What’s this?” Steve asked, sitting next to him, handing him the coffee as he looked at the screen. “Or, well, who’s this?” 

“Name’s Magnolia,” Maggie said as she gave him a hard look, sizing him up. 

“Call her Maggie,” Tony says taking a sip of the coffee, then giving Maggie a hard look of his own. “Be nice, Mags. This is Steve. He’s my boyfriend.” 

Maggie huffed, crossing her arms. “Doesn’t seem like much to me. Where’d you find him? Hanging out in the airport?” 

“Actually,” Steve said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “We did meet at the airport. I was trying to get my bags at the conveyor belt next to the one Tony was at, and he came over and started flirting with me. When it turned out we were both going to the same camp, I figured I’d give him a shot. Had my cousin sneak some food from the kitchen and we snuck out to eat in the wood. We talked for what felt like forever.” 

“He’s not like Johnny or Marissa,” Tony cut in. “He’s great. Saved my life today.” 

“What?!” Maggie screeched. “What do you mean he saved your life today?!” 

“We were out on the lake in a canoe,” Steve said as he took a sip of tea, glancing at Tony. “One of our group members kept rocking it and he fell out. Whoever checked his life vest didn’t tighten it enough and it came off when he hit the water. He could have drowned.” 

He was lying, to keep Maggie from worrying more. And Tony was thankful for that. He hated it when people worried about him. If Maggie knew that he had had an anxiety attack, she would freak and call his Aunt Skye on him! Sure, the camp would call her anyway, but for now, he wanted to do his best to keep it from his Aunt. 

“Jesus, Tony! We both know how you are about swimming. Couldn’t you have just asked to stay on the shore? God, you’re an idiot sometimes.” She rubbed her face, then turned to Steve with a critical look, clearly judging him. “And you! What did you do to save him? Just reach in and pull him out?” 

“Well, I was kind of on the other side of the canoe that Tony fell from so I… Jumped over one of the other guys, and dove straight into the water?” 

“Then he practically threw me back onto the boat,” Tony added. “And the guy he jumped over was practically twice his size. And do you see how muscular Steve is? This guy he jumped over was fucking huge!” 

“Well,” Maggie says as she huffed. “I guess you aren’t too bad, Steve. Just keep an eye on Tony, okay? He’s like a brother to me, and I’d hate to have to come up there and snipe you for letting him get hurt. And don’t think I won’t, ‘cause I can and I will. I’m top of the region for ROTC marksmanship.” She paused, turning to look towards the door. “Sorry, Tony, my mom's calling me for dinner. I’ll talk to you some other time, alright?” 

Tony nodded, watching the screen go black before closing the program. Steve smiled, kissing Tony’s temple again before sipping his tea, looking at his watch. 

“Dinner time,” Steve said as he got up, glancing out the window. 

Tony looked as well, frowning. It was pretty cloudy outside, and it looked like it might rain. He watched Steve set down his tea, and go to his bunk, pulling what looked like a thick sweatshirt out of his bag. It was blue, with Midtown High on the front over an Atom. Steve went to a science school. And Tony actually snorted as Steve took his coffee, setting it down next to the tea. 

“Shut up,” Steve said, glaring at him as he pushed the sweatshirt into his hands. “I’m taking the medical science classes, and I only went because Peter was worried about going alone.” 

Tony took the sweatshirt anyway, pulling it on to find that it was several sizes too big, and couldn’t help but snort again, kissing Steve. “It’s great. Thanks.” 

Steve smiled, nodding approvingly before giving him back his coffee, and leading the way out of the cabin. 

XxXXxX 

For the majority of the hike back from the top of the falls, Bruce was talking with Natasha. She had asked him a few questions, and he figured out she had started to remember. Natasha was smart, and that was one of the things he loved, and still loved, about her. He tried not to give her to much. It would be better for her to remember on her own. 

When they got back to camp, Bruce had figured something would happen when he saw the canoe. The only thing was, he had thought it would be his fault. He never did like being stranded, and in the middle of the water. Sure, he remembered how to control the Hulk, but the other guy hadn’t come out in fifteen years. It was worrying. 

But it was Tony that had the problem, and Bruce had to struggle to keep Hulk down. Hulk loved Tony. Tony hadn’t treated them with caution, and always treated both sides of him the same. He was a friend. The ultimate friend. And Hulk was roaring inside his mind to be let out so he could ‘save Tin Man’. But Bruce managed to push Hulk back enough to calm the other guy when Steve jumped in. 

And wasn’t that a strange thought! Steve and Tony, together. Bruce was pretty sure they wouldn’t have gotten together if this hadn’t happened. They argued too much, and Steve probably wouldn’t have allowed himself to like men before this whole mess. He doubted Steve would have even thought about it, in fact. 

But Steve had gotten Tony back onto the canoe, and they all dropped them off at the dock. The two went back to the cabin as Adam helped everyone else out of the canoe. Bruce got out and stood awkwardly on the dock, his backpack still in the boat house. Adam unlocked it once they were all off, and he let them get there bags. Bruce grabbed Tony’s and Steve's, and offered to take them back to the cabin. 

He was grateful Adam let him, and walked slowly to the cabins. He didn’t want to play the game Adam had set up for them, since he was worried about the Hulk. The other guy could come out anytime if Bruce got to agitated or excited. 

Bruce set the backpacks down in the room, looking around to find Steve and Tony both gone. Then he heard the showers turn on, and he quickly fled, worried he’d hear some things he didn’t want to. He ended up sitting in the gazebo for a while, out of sight of other people. Steve came out what seemed like an hour later, and was gone for a few minutes before coming back with two cups. 

Bruce sat for a while more, then looked at his watch. His mom- Well, Jolyn Adams… Mrs. Adams hadn't gotten him a cellphone, since they had lived in the middle of Alaska. Not very good cell service there. He had a radio that he kept in his bag. It was getting close to dinner time, so he walked back to the kitchen, where the group was starting to break up, leaving to go put their backpacks away. 

No one really bothered him, but Natasha gave him a look as she walked by, but he ignored it as he stood by the entrance to the dining hall. Everyone came back not to long after, Tony and Steve with them. Bruce tried not to wince when he saw Tony in what could only be Steve’s school sweatshirt. They could only end in tears when they remembered… 

So everyone went in and had dinner. It was chicken teriyaki tonight. They ate, Bruce watching his friends and Loki as they chatted with each other. Natasha was sitting next to him, and tried to get him to join the conversation, though it didn’t work. He wasn’t really in a talkative mood right now. He was thinking about the guest speakers they would have. Weather patterns and ants… There was something odd about that… 

He didn’t think too hard about it though, until they actually sat down out on the field to wait for the arrival of the speakers. Though he didn’t want to stay this way, Bruce didn’t want to be found. Not yet. He was afraid of getting back out there, and his worst fears came true. 

They had found him and the others. 

XxXXxX

Bucky was irritated beyond belief. Jane had been gone and out of contact when they got the news of Jarvis interaction with Stark and Banner, but Scott could have canceled his little thing with the kiddies instead of leaving them with no jet to get there! 

They ended up having to go to Coulson at the SHIELD base. And holy shit did it explain some things. 

“We’re just here for a jet,” Rhodes said as he walked through, the War Machine already on and ready to go. “We have a lead on Tony and the other Avengers, but Lang took our jet.” 

Instantly, Coulson and several other agents instantly tensed. In return, Bucky narrowed his eyes, reaching for his main gun. Sam also tensed, looking around with narrowed eyes.

“I’m sorry Colonel,” Coulson said as he gave Rhodes a look. “But I can’t let you go.” 

Rhodes eyes widened, and his hands clenched. “You knew… You knew where they were the entire time, didn’t you?!” 

There was no answer, and that was good enough of an answer for Bucky. He whipped out his handgun, the only one loaded with non-lethals, and quickly shot down two agents blocking the way to the hanger. They dropped, and he took off running, Sam and Rhodes close behind. The agents shot at them, but they were faster. A few punches, a few shots, and a few kicks later, they were on a quinjet. Sam hurried to get it in the air, managing to get through the hatch just before it closed. 

“That was close,” Sam said as he sighed. “Who would have thought Coulson would be hiding them… And in Washington State. Think he’s secretly Hydra?” 

“No,” Bucky said as he sat in the copilot seat. “It was probably an accident. He just got so caught up in it he couldn’t think of what else to do.” He pulled up the radar, and instantly went wide eyed. “Either of you in touch with Lang or Foster?” 

“No,” Rhodes said as he frowned, moving forward. “Why, what's going on?” 

“A Hydra jet is already on their way to site. They’re going to get there before us.” 

Rhodes quickly moved to look at the screen, then at the flight plan. “How long will it take for the jet to get there?” 

“A little over three hours,” Sam says, glancing at the radar as well. “They might reach it in less than that.” 

“And War Machine would take three and a half, at the least. Sam, can you get this thing to go any faster?” 

“I can try, but there’s no guarantee we can even get close to making it in time.” 

The group fell silent, Sam working to figure out how to override the safety system in place to keep the jet from going too fast, while Rhodey got Jarvis to try and hack into the SHIELD jets. Bucky was anxiously sitting in the copilot seat, hoping they could get there in time. He had some talking to do with Steve… 

They did manage to eventually catch up to the Hydra jet, thanks to Jarvis hacking the controls. However, it was as the Hydra agents were dropping down into a field at some summer camp. Bucky and Rhodey quickly ran to the back hatch, jumping out just as the Hydra agents did. Bucky could see Steve, or a teen version of Steve, scrambling to his feet, pulling up who must be the teen Stark. Stark was wearing what looked like the sweatshirt of a Manhattan high school, and he grew furious. At least one of them had been right under their noses  _ the entire time! _

“Back off!” Rhodes shouted to the agents as Falcon came down, hovering above them. “You aren’t taking them!” 

“I don’t think you understand, Colonel,” the lead agent said as Bucky turned. “We will have the children, and they will become one of us!” 

Bucky ignored him, using his metal hand to flip the agent off, and quickly moved forward, looking the group. There was one adult, and eight teens. One unknown teen, six Avengers teen, and one Loki teen. The adult, a man wearing a name tag with the name Adam, quickly moved to block him. 

“You can’t have them,” ‘Adam’ said sternly. “I won't let you.” 

Bucky scowled, looking past Adam to the scared looking teens. Thor and Loki were both in fighting stances, but looking startled and unsure. Barton and Romanov were probably the calmest, watching with narrowed eyes. Steve and the unknown kid were taking up stances in front of Stark, who was gripping Steve’s shirt and staring at Rhodes back. Banner was looking the most panicked of them all, Bucky remembered the Hulk. He needed to calm them down. 

“I’m just here to bring them home,” Bucky told the adult, looking at Steve, who looked confused. “I won’t hurt-” 

A shot rang out, and Banner fell back with a groan. Bucky whipped around, starting to shoot at the Hydra agents as Stark shouted. Rhodes and Sam jumped into action, Lang coming in in confusion, but quickly joining the fray. Foster seemed to be running late, and hadn’t arrived. 

Lang enlarged his ants, sending some at the agents as he ran to the teens. He didn’t have his gear, so he would focus on getting the teens to safety. 

“This way,” Scott said as he scooped up Bruce, hurrying to where his ant box was. “We need to get you up to that jet.” 

“Who the hell are you guys,” the unknown kid shouted as Tony took deep, deep breaths. “Who the hell are those guys?!” 

“I’m Ant-Man,” Scott told him, enlarging an ant. “Those guys in suits are Hydra. And I would normally just shrink you guys, but right now that would probably freak you out.” He pushed Natasha to the ant. “Get on and it will fly you to the jet I used to get here. Just get in, and be quiet. Here, take this guy, to.” 

Natasha frowned, but followed his orders, and the ant took off with her and Bruce. 

“How do we know we can trust you?” Steve asked, holding Tony close to him. 

“Because I’m trying to save your guys butts from an evil nazi agency that just shot one of you full of tranquilizers!” He pointed to Clint as he enlarged another ant. “You’re next.” 

Clint got on, then Thor, Loki, and finally Peter. Adam refused to leave, until he knew the teens were all safe. And when he looked around the corner of the building, he was shot, falling to the ground. Barnes and Sam came around to them. 

“War Machine is gonna keep ‘em busy,” Sam says as he takes several deep breaths. “We gotta take these two to your jet and scram out of here.” 

Barnes turned, grabbing Tony, who was the smaller of the two left, and went to hand him to Sam. Instantly, Tony let out a shout of surprise and pain, and Steve lunged forward, punching Barnes hard in the face. The Winter Soldier was so surprised by the reaction, he blinked, unable to stop Steve from pulling Tony behind him. 

The three stared at the two teens, Tony looking like he was going to run, while Steve looked ready to fight to give him the chance to. Barnes blinked, then rubbed his face. 

“The hell Steve?” 

“Don’t touch him,” Steve snapped, turning to glance at Tony, who was holding his wrist, a large bruise in the shape of Barnes metal hand already forming. He turned to narrow his eyes at Barnes, who scowled. “You hurt him…” 

Scott quickly jumped in, clearing his throat as he enlarged another ant. “Sorry to interrupt, but we kinda have to leave? And not getting shot at would be great!” 

Steve gave a quick, sharp nod, hurrying over to the ant, getting Tony to sit on it. He looked at Scott, who simply nodded. 

“Go with your boyfriend. We’ll follow behind.” 

Steve nodded, and got on, holding Tony to his chest as he checked Tony’s wrist, the ant taking off. 

Sam and Barnes gaped after them, mouths open as Scott started shrinking his gear and loading it onto more ants. He looked back at the two, frowning. “We don't have all day. We gotta go.” He shrank himself, and disappeared in a swarm of ants. 

Barnes turned to Sam. “Did Scott just call Stark…” 

“Steve’s boyfriend.” Sam finished, nodding slowly. “Yeah, I think he did. Come on, we gotta get out of here.” So Sam grabbed onto Barnes arms, taking off, Rhodes close behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q9: Lots of questions for chapter nine! What were your thoughts on possibly the longest chapter in the entire fic to this point? Tony had some serious issues going on with that flashback. And Steve didn't seem to remember Bucky at all! Any guesses as to why? But it seems like all the Avengers teens are going to be alone on a jet for a few minutes... Think they'll run, or wait for the adult Avengers?


	10. Natasha Takes Control, Steve is Overprotective, And Bruce Leads Debrief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natasha tries to organize the teens and make a plan. Steve stands, or sits, guard over Tony as everyone gets to make a call. Bruce gives a small explanation from the safety of the Hulk cage.

When Natasha arrives at the jet, she dragged Bruce inside, and laid him down on a bench. She had spent a lot of time thinking about all of the things she was remembering. And what she remembered about Bruce, in particular. 

She had remembered quite a bit already. Most of it was either her time at the academy or very strong memories of Bruce. Bruce either as a giant green rage monster, as she had once recalled Stark calling him, or their little date like lunches, away from… everyone. He was sweet to her, and she liked that. 

Clint came soon after, his ant joining the one she had used outside outside, digging around in the grass. He came in, plopping himself down in the pilot seat. 

“You know,” he said as he looked around. “I remember how to fly these things. Like, seriously. If we wanted to get out of here, I could probably fly us out.” 

“No,” Natasha said sternly. “We have to access the situation more. A lot has happened today. Tony’s panic attack flashback-” 

“Wait, that’s what that thing out on the lake was?” 

“-and Bruce getting shot. We need to be more careful. Besides, these are the current Avengers. Four of them have close ties with Tony, Steve, or Thor. Two of those four are to Steve. If Steve doesn’t trust them-” 

“Trust who?” 

Both of them turned, finding Thor, Loki, and Peter all climbing into the hatch. Peter had his eyes narrowed, clearly concerned and cautious. Natasha forced her face blank, though Clint grinned. 

“Pete!” Clint said as he clapped him on the shoulder. “Great! You got out safe! We were just talking about trusting these guys. Steve seems like he’s got the best judge of character, and if he trusts these guys then so can we.” 

Peter frowned, giving him a skeptical look. It was obvious that Peter didn’t believe him. He was supposedly the only non super in the group, but Natasha had seen him sneaking into the kitchen last night. He had crawled up the wall. Literally crawled up it. Natasha doubted that Steve didn’t know already, but maybe Peter could be helpful to them. 

She glanced out the hatch wondering where the Steve and Tony were, along with the Avengers team. That’s when she saw them hurrying up the ramp. Steve was fussing over Tony, worried, while Tony was folding his wrist. 

“I’m fine,” Tony said quickly, as Steve held his arm to examine the dark bruising around Tony’s wrist. “It was an accident. I’m sure the guy didn’t mean to.” 

“Didn’t mean to?” Steve growled out. “He manhandled you with a metal arm and nearly threw you! Peter, find a medkit. There has to be one somewhere on this thing. God, he might have fractured your wrist, Tony.” 

Peter hurried to find one, opening a cabinet in the back of the jet. There was a quiver and bow inside, and Clint instantly went to go take a look. There were some other cabinets, and Peter opened all of them, finding everything from a control panel full of buttons, a gun rack, and what seemed like an overly large amount of towels and poptarts. Thor went for a box of poptarts, grinning as Loki rolled his eyes. Natasha was unimpressed, and watched as Peter finally found a  med kit, giving it to Steve. 

Steve took it with a nod of his head, flipping it open and rummaging around in it before using some things to make a careful wrap/splint. Tony gave him a grin when he was finished, cupping Steve’s face with his good hand, leaning in and giving him a light kiss. 

“Jeez,” Tony said as he pulled back, Natasha rolling her eyes. “You're just taking care of me so much today.” 

Steve smiled at him, cupping Tony’s face. Natasha cleared her throat, scowling. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” She says as she crosses her arms. “But we need a plan of action. Those men will be here any second. Are we staying here?” 

“Or do I get to try and jack this jet and fly us out of here?” Clint asked, the bow and quiver on his back. 

Thor frowned at him, thinking for a second, while Loki shifted nervously. Natasha could tell they were already remembering. Or, beginning to. 

“I don’t trust them,” Steve said suddenly, causing Natasha to stare at him. “The metal armed guy in particular. He showed little restraint, and he could have really hurt Tony. Maybe have even broken his arm clear in half.” 

Natasha grit her teeth, wondering why,  _ why  _ did it seem like Steve was the only one not seeming to remember anything? Even after seeing his best, best friend he had thought was dead? It was making everything so much  _ harder! _

“Steve,” Natasha said slowly. “That man is James Buckman Barnes. The Winter Soldier. He fought in World War II with Captain America.” 

Steve frowned, glancing at Peter. “Didn’t we read about him in history class?” 

Peter nodded, and Natasha forced herself not to scream. This was impossible! They needed to figure out whether or not they would be jacking the jet, not talking about school! Though, it didn’t really matter, since Scott Lang, James Barnes, and Sam Wilson were running onto the jet. Wilson and Barnes jumped into the pilot seats, the hatch closing just as the War Machine flew through. Rhodes flicked up his visor, glancing first to Tony, who was seated on a bench, pressed close to Steve, then turned to glance at Thor. 

“I got a hold of Jane,” Rhodes said as he crossed his arms. “She’s going to meet us in New York, at the Tower. SHIELD is probably on its way to stop us, so we got to hurry.” 

Wilson nodded, and the jet was flying off towards New York. 

_ This is bad _ , Natasha thought.  _ This is very, very bad. _

XxXXxX

Steve refused to get up from his seat. He downright refused to move away from Tony. These men were dangerous. And hadn’t told them anything. None of them spoke, all resigned to sit silently, the man in the metal suit watching them, Tony in particular, with a careful gaze. 

He didn’t like it. He was nervous, on edge. Everyone was. And Tony was the first to speak in the tense silence. 

“Can I call my Aunt?” Tony asked, causing everyone to look at him. “She’s doing some business in Seaquim with the Davis family. She’ll get worried when she finds out that you took us.” 

“Davis family?” Clint asked, frowning. “You mean my dads? Oh god! My dads are are probably freaking out so bad right now!” He turned to look at the men. “Please, you have to let me call them.” 

“I should call my guardian,” Natasha adds, almost as an afterthought. “If he hears you took me, and I don’t call, he’ll get his guns, call in a few favors with his hunting friends, and march an army of hunters across the country until he kills all of you.”  

“Our guardians will be worried as well,” Thor says, forlorn. “They are in much distress with a divorce, and our vanish will only worry them more.” 

“Of course,” Loki drawls with a roll of his eyes. “If they can stop arguing long enough to pick up the phone.” 

“I’d like to call my mother,” Steve adds quickly, glancing at Peter. “She’s getting old, and she might have a heart attack when she hears. She’s in charge of Peter, too, and with both of us missing, it might be too much for her.” 

“And someone should call Bruce's family,” Tony puts in. “Tell them he was, you know, shot.” 

There was a slam, and Steve stiffened as he felt Tony flinch next to him. The Winter Soldier got up from his seat, scowling as he glared. Tony pressed closer to him, clearly startled as the metal armed man glared at the man in the metal suit. 

“When the hell are we going to tell them?” The Soldier growled. “You can’t seriously be okay with Stark cuddling up to Steve like that.” He turned to glare at Steve and Tony, crossing his arms. “I’ve had enough of you two. Opposite sides of the bench. Come on, you’ll thank me later. You both need some cooldown time.” 

Neither of them moved, though Tony seemed to only hold tighter to him. Steve tightened his arms around Tony as The Soldiers eyes narrowed. He was starting to get a bit angry. Who was this guy to come in out of nowhere and tell them what to do? The Winter Soldier was a bully, and Steve hated bullies. 

“Well?” The man asked sharply. 

Steve got to his feet, Tony staring up at him from his new spot on the bench. “No.” He growled out. 

The Soldier stared, then scowled again. “What do you mean no? I’m just looking out for you. Take a breather, sit away from him.” 

“I mean,” Steve growled, fists tight, “no, I will not move. Who are you to come in and tell me what to do? My Dad? Well guess what, you aren’t. You’re a bully. And I don’t like bullies. So back off, before I teach you a lesson. ‘Cause I’m stickin’ with Tony. ‘Til the end of the line!” 

The room seemed to freeze as a sharp pain filled his head. His words echoed through his mind. End of the line… End of the line… Where had that come from? But as soon as it came, it was gone, the Soldier reaching out towards him. 

Steve swatted the hand away, and sat back down, glaring at the Soldier as he pulled Tony onto his lap. Tony blinked, then grinned and cupped Steve’s face as best he could with his hurt wrist, kissing him hard. Steve, normally against such showboating, made an exception, and held tight onto Tony, kissing him back. 

It started soft and sweet, quickly becoming hot, dirty, with Tony licking his lips and making almost mewling like sounds. Steve was enjoying this maybe just a bit too much, and pulled back for air. Tony took a few deep breaths, looking dazed and a bit ruffled. And so, so screwable. And good lord did that thought make Steve blush. 

“That was hot,” Tony breathed out. “You're hot when you posture. You should, like, do that more. Also, that blush? Just how far down does it go?” 

Steve closed his eyes, his face seeming to heat up more, if that was possible. But he smiled, burying his face in Tony’s hair when his boyfriend buried his face into his shoulder, getting comfortable. 

The Soldier didn’t say anything, and simply turned, and grabbing what looked to be a tablet. He handed it to Natasha first, then moved to return to his seat in the cockpit. The man in the metal suit gave him an odd look, but said nothing. Steve watched as slowly the tablet made its way around the jet, everyone calling home. Bruce was still out, but Clint seemed to know the number, and video called and told Bruce’s mother’s that he was fine. 

Eventually, the tablet made it’s way over to Peter, and he called, sitting next to Steve and Tony. It rang for a few minutes before his mother answered, tears in her eyes. 

“Steven!” She gasped. “Peter! Oh, my boys! Where are you? The police called and said there had been some kind of gun fight, and that you were missing!”

“Sorry for worrying you, Aunt May,” Peter said as he glanced around. “The, uh, Avengers were there. They think whoever attacked is after us for some reason. We’re on our way to their base in New York.” 

“Yeah, Mom, we’re fine,” Steve said as Tony glanced at the screen. The movement seemed to catch her eye and Steve grinned. “Oh! Mom, you probably haven’t met Tony. I met him at the airport. He ended up at camp, to, and well, I asked him out.” 

She gasped, smiling. “Well! It’s lovely to meet you, Tony.” 

“It’s nice to meet you to, Ms Parker,” Tony said politely, giving her a charming smile. 

“Oh, please,” she said with a grin. “Call me May.” 

“Well, May,” Tony said as he carefully took the tablet from Steve. “It’s been lovely meeting you, but I have to call my own mother and tell her I’m alright.” 

She nodded. “Of course, dear. Steven, take care of this boy. And Peter, take care of your cousin. I’ll be back in New York as soon as possible.” 

Steve nodded, the feed cutting out and Tony made his own call. There was, for some reason, no answer, so Tony called Maggie instead. She answered immediately, though she looked like she had just been crying. 

“Tony,” she said as she wiped at her eyes. “I wasn’t… I wasn’t expecting you to call back so soon.” 

“There was an incident,” Tony says with a frown. “I thought I’d call you so you could tell my aunt that I’m fine. Mags, what’s wrong?” 

“Nothing, I-” She stopped then hung her head. “They’re sending me back to the orphanage, and they’re going to put Whiskey down.” 

“What?!” Tony shouted, eyes wide. “They can’t- But that family seemed so nice!” He took a deep breath, thinking as Steve frowned at the screen. “When is it happening?” 

“They’re taking him to the pound to do it in a week. I leave the day after.” 

“Don’t worry,” Tony said as she looked up. “I’ll… I’ll figure something out. But I have to go. Tell my aunt I’m fine, and I’ll call you later.” 

Maggie nodded, and the feed flickered for a second before cutting out. Steve glanced down at Tony, frowning. Tony glanced up at him, giving him a light kiss, and a reassuring smile. Steve smiled back, burying his face once more in Tony’s hair. Everything would be fine. 

Everything was fine. 

XxXXxX

Bruce awoke with a throbbing headache and the feeling of someone shaking him awake. 

He supposed the only reason he didn’t Hulk out was because Tony was the one shaking him. Hulk liked Tony, or Tin Man, as he called him. Tony was great. 

“Hulk out?” Tony asks with a raised brow. “You hiding something from me, Bruce-Bunny?” 

Had he said that aloud? He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. That wasn’t meant to happen. Maybe it was whatever SHIELD shot into him? It had knocked him out and the headache was offal. 

“Yeah,” Tony tells him. “These Avenger guys say that those Hydra guys drugged you. Also, we’re in New York City, at their home base. They think that something bad will happen if anyone else besides me or Natasha wake you up, so…” 

Bruce nodded, carefully getting up, holding his head. Tony helped him, keeping him steady as they walked down the ramp. And Bruce could only stare at what was waiting for them. 

Steve was standing at the bottom of the ramp, arms crossed as he glared at James Barnes, his best friend who should be dead. James Rhodes was standing by door, suit off. Sam Wilson and a man Bruce didn't know were moving boxes filled with… ants?

He would have to look into this later. 

Peter was standing with Thor and Loki, pointing off in the distance. Bruce could hear something that sounded vaguely like ‘I can see my school from here’. Clint and Natasha were not far from the doors, whispering in hushed tones. 

They walked towards the doors, Steve walking with them, giving Tony a glance before returning his hard gaze to Barnes. And that's when Bruce notice the brace holding Tony’s wrist. It must have been Barnes fault… 

It had to have been an accident though, right? 

_ It was,  _ Bruce instantly reassured the Hulk.  _ It was an accident and Tony is fine. _

The Other Guy argued, argued that Bruce  _ didn't know that _ . Bruce didn't. And the Other Guy was angry. And Bruce couldn't hold him for long. 

“Sir,” Jarvis says as they entered the tower, making Tony tense. “Dr. Banner, I'm glad to see you are well.” 

“Thank you Jarvis,” Bruce said as he started to take lead, breathing calmly, calmly. “Is my ‘room’ still available?” 

“Of course,” Jarvis says, and a door quickly opens. “It's good to hear that you are… aware of your ‘condition’. Your tea is being blended as we speak.” 

Everyone was looking at him in what must be shock as he led the way into the newly opened room. He shook of Tony's arm, moving into the cage, to the table with his tea. The doors closed behind him, trapping him in, and everyone else outside. 

Tony was looking startled and confused, while Natasha and Clint were frowning, focused. Rhodes had his eyes narrowed.

“So you remember?” Rhodes asked, frowning. 

Bruce winced, sipping his tea. “When I almost turned into the other guy. He saw Tony in distress. He also doesn't like Barnes at all. He understands that he hurt Tony and-” 

_ No hurt Tin Man,  _ the other guy hissed, making Bruce suck in a breath, his fingers turning green. 

“-get him out of here.” 

Barnes turned and walked from the room. It was clear that Barnes had had enough. Even Bruce could only take so much of this. But as soon as Barnes was gone, the green faded. The Other Guy gave a huff, but made no other moves. Bruce turned to look at his teammates, then at the current Avengers, and hoped that maybe he wasn’t needed. That the Other Guy wasn’t needed. 

Wilson cleared his throat, drawing attention to him as he crossed his arms. 

“So what happened?” He asked. “To make you all like this?” 

“It was an accident,” Bruce tells them, voice tired. “Coulson had gathered us all together to talk about the next Hydra base we would be taking down. Thor had brought Loki, since he and Tony were somewhat… friends, I suppose? Loki had been helping us for a while, even though he continued to play ‘pranks’ on us. Tony kept helping him, especially when the prank was on Steve. 

“But a prank went wrong. We were all gathered together, to talk about something, and I remember Loki turning Steve into a baby first. Tony had laughed, played with him for a minute before telling Loki to change him back. When Loki tried, there was a flash and the next thing I remember, I was five, and my ‘mothers’ where pulling me around on a sled in the backyard of our house in Alaska. 

“And I’m sure that if the others remembered what happened that night, they would have similar gaps. My ‘mothers’ said they got me when I was one, so I’m guessing that it’s been fifteen years? Maybe sixteen?” 

Rhodes nodded, turning to Wilson before whispering quietly to him. Wilson nodded, lightly putting a hand on Steve and Tony’s shoulders, leading them away with Peter as the mystery man leads Natasha and Clint away. Rhodes stayed behind, waiting until the others were gone before turning to Bruce. 

“Thank you Doctor Banner. When you’re feeling calm enough, do you want me to bring a tablet so you can talk to your mothers?” 

Bruce wanted to say yes. He really did. But he knew he shouldn’t. So he shook his head, turning to sit down on his bed, taking slow breaths. He watched as Rhodes led Thor and Loki away, the brothers looking conflicted. 

He would probably stay in the cage for a few days. After all, he wasn’t sure what a Hulk-out would do to his body while it was like this… He wasn’t sure if he could control the Hulk if he went full green. He wasn’t sure he was safe.

Or if he ever would be again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Q10: Lots of stuff happening. Hydra made an appearance in the last chapter, and Jane will arrive at the tower soon. What do you think will happen with Hydra, and what about the drama that is sure to appear at the Tower?


	11. Tony’s Lab and Thor’s Hammer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony is overwhelmed and flees to the lab. Jane returns with Mjolnir.

The Falcon, Sam Wilson if Tony remembered correctly, led him and Steve away from where Bruce was locked in the metal and glass cage. He didn’t like leaving Bruce in that cage, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to fight the Avengers. He wasn’t strong enough. Wasn’t powerful enough.

So he followed Sam, though he held tight to Steve’s hand. He didn’t want to be alone in this… This… For some reason, Tony couldn’t call this place ‘unfamiliar’. Because in a way Tony didn’t like to think about, it was familiar. It was familiar and his subconscious told him that it was fine, that it was safe here, but he’d never been to New York. He’d never been to this tower. The Avengers Tower…

Peter was talking on Steve’s other side, and Tony was comforted by his both of their presence.

Sam led them to an elevator, stepping to the side as the door opens to let the three of them in. Their escort immediately followed, glancing up at the ceiling.

“Jarvis,” he said calmly. “Take us up to... Cap’s old floor, then to the penthouse.”

There was a small pause, then the familiar British voice spoke up. “My apologizes, Mr. Wilson, but I am afraid I can not allow unauthorized personnel into the private living quarters without the rationale consent of the inhabitant.”

Sam seemed to think on this for a moment, frowning. “Unauthorized personnel?”

“Young Mister Parker,” the voice says sadly. “I would need the consent of the Captain or Sir, but neither seem to remember as Doctor Banner has. Unless Peter Parker wouldn’t mind staying on the communal floor?”

“What?” Peter gasped. “I’m not leaving them behind! Steve’s family, and Tony’s awesome.”

“My apologies, Young Mister Parker,” Jarvis said again, letting out what almost what sounded like a sigh. “But you are not authorized to-”

“Jarvis,” Tony said tiredly, practically against his will. He didn’t know why he had spoken up. Why was he speaking? “Override code: Captain Sassypants 4 8 3.”

The elevator was momentarily silent, then began to move, going up. Sam seemed surprised but pleased, looking at down at Tony. Steve and Peter were silent, staring at him. Tony couldn’t look at either of them, and instead tried to hide against Steve’s side. He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be here…

But he was here. He was here, and they had brought Steve and Bruce, and the others here, and they had even dragged Peter here. Now he would have to deal with the consequences. And it was going to be bad… It could- _would_ end badly.

When the elevator doors opened, no one moved for a moment. Sam seemed to be waiting for something, while Steve and Peter seemed to be waiting for Sam. But Tony knew this place. He took a few tentative steps forward, then glanced at Steve, who stared back before he followed. They entered, Tony slightly ahead of Steve as they enter the expansive room.

“Welcome back, sir,” Jarvis said as Sam and Peter followed.

The room was completely clean, no dust or cobwebs that should have been there after fifteen years. All reflective surfaces seemed to shine, the wood of the furniture polished and new looking. Tony knew it was wrong to feel safe here, to have a sense of _home_ , but as soon as he started to think about it, his head hurt, and he pushed the thoughts away.

This couldn’t be home. He didn’t want it to be home. Home was San Francisco, with Aunt Skye. Home was the table he and his friends took over at school, listening to RJ and Phil argue and talking about tech with Maggie. Home was the fort he made in the scrapyard with Maggie, her dog Whiskey running around inside. Home was-

“Tony?”

He flinched, realizing he was standing by the window, looking out at the all too familiar New York skyline. Tony turned, sniffling as he tried to wipe the tears that were forming in his eyes away with his good hand. Steve was standing just behind him, looking concerned. Peter was on the other side of the room, head turned away from a painting he must have been looking at, but drawn to look over at his cousin's concerned voice. Sam was in the center of the room, watching him, as if waiting for something.

“Tony,” Steve says again, reaching out to lightly cup his cheek. “What’s wrong?”

And for a moment, all he could do was close his eyes, taking deep breaths. Because he didn’t want to come back here, but he did the one thing that would force him to remember.

He latched onto Steve. He made Steve home, unwittingly forcing everything he had locked in his subconscious all those years ago back to the surface. And Tony didn’t have the heart to push Steve away, because Steve had always, in a way, been home. He hated to fall for Steve with all the information he had, using the feelings he had for the old Steve to fall for this one. They weren’t the same, not really, but in the ways that counted, they were.

But Tony needed to be alone. He needed to get away from Steve. Just for a little while.

So he turned away from him, not looking at him as he pulled away from Steve, and started toward the elevator. Tony knew that Steve, kind and caring in all forms, would be hurt. He knew it but he still had to do it. He needed to be alone.

Just for a little while.

“Tony?” Steve asked again, sounding panicked.

“J,” Tony said, ignoring his- ignoring Steve as the elevator doors opened. “Lab. Initiate blackout as soon as I’m inside. No one in without my permission.”

“Of course, Sir,” the AI said gravely, the elevator doors closing as Tony cautioned a glance over his shoulder. Sam was holding Steve back, whispering something to him as he shook his head. Peter was startled, surprised, as Steve was staring in horror, as if Tony had just snapped his heart in two.

And the worst part is, he probably did.

The elevator started it’s descent, and Tony forced himself to stay up, stay standing with his head held high. The doors soon opened, the lights flickering on to reveal first a glass wall and door, then an expansive lab behind it. Tony walked quickly, the door flicking open for a moment to let him through before locking immediately after, the glass clouding over.

Three robots instantly lifted their arms, the claws turning to him as if they were heads, and one instantly wheeled over, knocking over a few stools and a small table in its rush. It hopped on it’s wheels, beeping and whirring excitedly as it tugged on Tony’s shirt.

“Dum-E,” Tony said hoarsely, causing the bot to momentarily freeze.

He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, and _God_ , the last time he felt like crying like this was… Was when he was 17 and and his parents died in the car crash. And built Dum-E. And the bot seemed to understand, and wheeled slightly back, Tony following until he was by the other bot’s, near their charging stations. Tony leaned against the wall for a second before sliding down it, hugging his knees to his chest as he buried his face in his knees.

The bots all surrounded him, U and Butterfingers moving to press against his sides as Dum-E laid his arm over his shoulders, in the closest thing to a hug the bot could do. Tony may not have wanted to return, but he knew this was home. The lab stuck with him, and the bots, too. He’d tried to recreate the lab at his Aunt’s house.

But she wasn’t his aunt. She was a SHIELD agent. Practically Coulson’s daughter, if he red their relationship right all those years ago. And, dear God, he remembered seeing Coulson over a video call while he was living with Skye when he six! She’d said he was a good friend, and…

Tony groaned into his knees, feeling like such a fool.

When they had left for the airport, Skye had gotten a call and had mentioned the Davis’s! That was Clint’s fake family… He was such a fool!

“Sir?” Jarvis cautioned. “Miss Potts is requesting entry.”

Tony took in a breath, knowing that if Pepper hadn’t changed much, she wouldn’t leave until he let her in. She was persistent, and he’s best friend with Rhodey. Hell, he was dating her before everything went to shit. And he wanted to know about what was going on. How she was doing, how Rhodey was doing, who the two new guys were, how Stark Industries had taken his disappearance…

“Let her in,” Tony said, lifting his head as the door clicked open, revealing Pepper.

She was older, now, though not quite old enough to have white hair, or wrinkles. Pepper still wore her business suit, and was still taller then him in heels. But her eyes widen when she saw him, and he gave her a weak grin.

“Hey Pep.”

“Tony,” she breathed, walking towards him as the door locked and closed behind her. She dropped to her knees before him, wide eyed. “James told me you were here, and about what happened, but I never… God, you look so young.”

“Young enough to call you mom,” Tony jokes, grinning to try and hide his distress. “Just turned sixteen in May. Got a new toolbox, and a tablet that I broke at camp…”

“God,” Pepper whispered, shaking her head. “Where have you been? They said you didn’t remember like Bruce did. Or seem to have any guess like Natasha and Clint. What happened?”

Tony smiled softly, resting his chin on his knees as he pulled them closer to his chest. “I’ve been in San Francisco. I got to live a normal life, Pepper. I made friends, had pets that aren’t AI’s.” He paused, turning to Dum-E. “Not that the dog I had was much different than you, you worthless hung of junk.”

Dum-E beeped in appreciation, always loving and affectionate, and rolled away. The bot was probably heading to the blender to make something undrinkable.

“But yeah,” Tony says as he smiles lightly. “San Francisco. Had a few birds, a dog, and even a cat at one point. No pets now, unless you count Maggie's dog, Whiskey. He’s kinda both of ours, actually. Found him just over a year ago, when he was a puppy. She named him Whiskey because the dog got into her foster father's liquor cabinet somehow and drank all the whiskey when we weren’t looking.”

Pepper smiled softly, moving to sit next to him as U and Butterfingers rolled away. “Is this Maggie you’re girlfriend?”

“God no!” Tony shouted as he laughed. “She’s my best friend, practically my sister. She’s a nerd like me, and we rule the school with our genius. Aunt Skye-”

He stopped, scowling at himself. He hadn’t meant to call her by name. Tony didn’t want to get her in trouble, not with Pepper. Not yet. Even if she had lied to him, she was still his aunt. She still raised him, helped him, gave him a family he always wanted, the childhood he always wanted. And he had helped her, when the Terrigen outbreak happened, and she became Inhuman. But then again, she did leave him with Rj and Phil’s family for a few months while she went to a place to ‘train’, so she wouldn’t accidentally hurt him. When Skye came back, she had a ‘new job’, and special arm braces.

It took Pepper a minute to make the connection, but her eyes widened when she did.

“Skye from SHIELD?” She asked, seeming horrified. “So SHIELD did know… Coulson said he had no clue where you all had gone. Why would he feel the need to lie? Why would Skye feel the need to lie? I saw her a few years ago, when the Terrigen and the Inhumans showed up, and I asked her if she knew anything and-”

“Pepper,” Tony says softly, drawing her attention. “It’s not her fault. She was just trying to protect me.”

“Then she wouldn’t have hid you!” Pepper snapped, then quickly turned away. “Tony, there’s a lot you probably don’t know about. James and I-”

“Are getting married.”

She turned, staring at him in surprise. She probably hadn’t expected him to know, hadn’t expected him to say it with a smile the way he had. But in truth, Tony had always known Pepper would be happier without him. He was reckless, while Rhodey was all protocol and safety. She’d be happier with Rhodey. Wouldn’t have to worry about him every time he left on missions in the War Machine.

Not like she did with Tony in the Iron Man, at least.

“I watch the news,” Tony said as he stood up, walking to one of his work tables. “And I’m glad you are getting married. You’re good for eachother.”

“Tony, you don’t have to say that if you-”

“If I what?” He asked as he turned to her. “If I don’t mean it? Pep, I’ve had 15 years to think about this. To think and analyze. We didn’t work, and you and Rhodey obviously do.”

“Fifteen years?” Pepper asked as she stood. “Tony, James said that you didn’t remember your life as Tony Stark. How long have you…”

Tony glanced back at her, giving a weak smile.

“I think I’ve always known…”

XxXXxX

Thor was led with Loki away from the room where Bruce was by the metal man. They were led to an elevator, which soon went up as they all stepped inside. Thor felt a familiarity about the place that he could not put his finger on. It was rather like home, but not exactly home.

Like a home away from home.

Thor shook the thought off as they took the elevator up, going until they reached their destination. It was a large, open room, that seemed to go on for eternity. There were no windows, simply the expansive space that seemed to stretch on and on, with no end. The floor was solid gold, polished to create a mirror like reflection that they walked across.

Loki looked around with a scowl, looking not necessarily displeased, but definitely not happy. He took a few steps forward, the man in the metal suit watching him, even as Thor turned to walk to a large corner of the room, finding a round massive bed, covered in golden silk.

“Don’t wander too deep,” the man says as he moves to the door. “I have to go meet my fiancee in the lobby, and JARVIS isn’t in this room, but a friend should be here soon. She… has something of yours, Thor.”

“Of mine?” Thor asked as he turned.

“Yes. Just don’t wander off.”

And with that, the man was gone, leaving the brothers to explore the room on their own. Thor wandered along one of the walls, looking at the different pictures hanging there. There was so many, with people who looked so familiar. One constant was a man who looked so much like him, and Thor had the strangest feeling that the man was him.

When he reached the dresser, however, he found many more, this time with only two other subjects instead of many. The ones on the dresser always held a woman of such radiant beauty, with brown hair and a sharp eye, or… Loki.

Thor carefully picked one of the pictures up, staring at the frowning older version of Loki, who stood with a grinning older version of Thor. The Thor in the picture had an arm thrown over Loki’s shoulder, pulling the brother into a tight one armed huge. It looked a lot like a picture Thor had on his phone, of him and his brother on their first day of highschool.

He set the photo back, turning just in time to spot a woman walk in. She was dressed in what seemed to be a black body suit, an armor chest piece warping around her upper torso. A red cape was attached to the chest piece at the shoulders and a silver helm sat on her head, wings sticking out from the side. Around her waist was a thick leather belt, a golden cloth hanging from it like a shirt, though it only wrapped around her sides and behind.

A large hammer was held tight in her hand, the ends of the large block decorated with an intricate design. And for some reason, a name came to the forefront of Thor’s mind, but didn’t get the chance to speak as the woman dropped the hammer, her armor and helm disappearing to leave her in the black body suit. Without the armor, Thor instantly recognized her as the all too familiar woman in the photos on the dresser.

“Thor?” She gasped, eyes wide. “Rhodes said that they had found you, but I… I wasn’t expecting this.”

Thor frowned, blinking at her. She seemed so familiar. As if he had spent many hours with her a day, more then maybe even his brother. But that was impossible. Or… His attention flickered from the pictures to Loki, before returning to the woman.

“I feel as though we have met somewhere before,” he said as he walked towards her. “But I can not remember from where… What is your name, fair maiden warrior?”

She let out a small laugh, though she seemed almost sad yet hopeful. “My name is Jane Foster. I’m a scientist.” The woman, Jane, looked past him, towards Loki. “And don’t think I don’t see you, Loki. Don’t bother looking for the scepter. We don’t have it.”

He looked over his shoulder, finding Loki looking at what must be a trophy vault. His brother was holding what looked to be some kind of horn, as well as a large scale. Thor wasn’t entirely sure why but he felt pride well up in his chest when he saw them, as if he should be boasting. But he shook the thought away, and turned to look back at Jane, glancing at the hammer.

Jane seemed to take notice, picking it up, sparks jumping across her bare forearm. She held it up, letting Thor get a good look at it as she bit her lip.

“Do you want to hold it?” She asked tentatively. At his quick nod, she held it out. “Though I usually refer to it as an ‘it’, it’s actually got a bit of a mind of its own. Its name is-”

“Mjolnir,” Thor finishes, the hammer flying from Jane's hand into his.

He let out a cry almost instantly, sparks zipping up his arm from where his hand gripped the handle. Wisps of green smoke sizzled off of his skin, hissing as the sparks spread through his entire body. His body ached, muscles tensing and stretching as Thor let out a shout, his voice sounding a bit deeper than before. For a moment, Thor could feel the surge of energy, feel as a hazy prison was lifted from his memories. Then, he fell to his hands and knees, ears ringing as he took deep heavy breaths.

Jane’s voice soon filled his ears, the feeling of a hand on his shoulder and another on his cheek. He blinked for a moment, clearing his vision to find Jane on her knees in front of him, wide eyed as she stared back at him.

“Thor?” She whispered, voice almost quivering in a bizarre mix of hope and fear.

“Jane,” he said with a smile, dropping Mjolnir to cup her face. “You took great care of Mjolnir… You are such a mighty maiden warrior.”

A grin split across her face, and she surged forward to plant a kiss to his lips, which he eagerly returns. He was glad to be back to normal, and glad to have Jane and Mjolnir back. When Jane pulled away, however, she shoved him, glaring.

“Don’t ever do that again,” she hissed. “Your hammer made me stop aging! Darcy’s thirty-six now, and I’m still twenty-eight, and this is insane Thor. I’m supposed to be forty-three! Forty-three, Thor!”

Thor chuckled, standing to his full height, picking up Mjolnir once more. “Yes, I know, my dear Jane. But I had to leave Mjolnir to someone I could trust. It was not uncommon for my brother to play pranks when we were young, and I had a feeling something would happen. Speaking of…” He turned, frowning at his younger- much younger- brother. “Loki. I do not think you have met Jane.”

Loki scowled, coming forward with his arms crossed. The wisps of green smoke were slowly swirling around him, one by one sinking into him. He did not look amused, still in the form of the a teen, and looked Jane over with a critical eye, who returned it in kind.

“I am Loki,” he says, sounding bored. “You may have heard of-”

Jane cuts him off with a hard slap across his face, making Loki’s head snap to the side.

“That was for New York,” she hissed, clearly still angry.

Loki turned his head to look at her, then up at his brother with a grin. “Oh, I like her!”

Thor tried to hold back a chuckle, though can’t quite keep it back as Jane glares. He gives her a small shrug, putting on his most innocent face. She clearly saw through it, but she sighed anyway, and turned to head towards the door.

“Come on,” she says as she holds the door open. “We need to go tell James Rhodes about this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the part with Thor returning to normal seems a bit rushed, but I do have my reasons. And yes, it's the cliche 'magic' reason. But it's a bit more complicated then that. And there is a reason that Loki didn't change back.  
> But on to the Chapter Question!  
> What do you think of Tony and Pepper's conversation, and the reveal that Tony pretty much knew the entire time? Or, in his subconscious, at least. And what do you think are the 'magic' reasons behind Thor's full return and only Loki's memory return?


	12. Clint’s Bow, Steve’s Shield, and Natasha’s Capture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clint starts feeling a little cooped and finds an old 'friend'. Steve and Peter want to get out of the tower. Natasha meets a friends old enemy.

Clint was led away from the room Bruce was in by the Ant-Guy, who left him and Natasha in an elevator by themselves. It made its way without an button pressing, leaving them in silence as Natasha leaned against the wall. She looked rather smug, a ‘I told you so’ look on her face.

And she had been right. 

Ever since they had arrived, Clint had felt this strange sense of familiarity. He had only ever felt it when he was home, with his fathers. He didn’t know why- Well, he did since Natasha had shown him the articles she found- but this was different then a glance at a picture. THis was a real ‘I’ve been here before’ feeling. 

When the doors opened, it was to a large room, like a living room, connected to a small kitchen. A bar was in the corner opposite the kitchen, though covered in a light layer of dust. In another corner, a few plastic bags were sitting untouched on what looked to be a large dog bed. 

Had he been planning on getting a dog? The articles never said he had a dog…

“Agent Barton,” the AI says as Clint moved to look down at the bags and bed, worried he’d left a dog to survive on its own. “When you and the team did not return, I took the liberty of sending the pound an email saying that you would not be getting the dog, after all.” 

“Oh,” Clint said as he looked around. A roomba(?) sped by, eating up whatever dust and dirt was on the floor. The room seemed rather… empty to him, as if missing a key component. It was very lonely… Maybe he had wanted the dog to keep him company while he was here. 

Natasha hummed softly from behind him, looking around as the roomba zigged and zagged around her feet. She didn’t seem impressed, and moved along the wall to look into a hallway. It was dark down the hall, but Clint caught sight of what must have been three, maybe four doors. 

Not sure what else to do, Clint wandered down the hall, looking at bare walls and closed doors. The lights flicked on, when he opened a door, to show him what was inside. 

A bathroom: extravagant, clean, empty. The floors were a dark and sleek, as if it was made of polished black onyx. The cabinet under the sink was a dark, rich wood, maybe walnut? The bathtub was situated in one corner, large enough for two, maybe three people, and a standing shower in the corner next to it, also large. Why on earth would he need so much bath space? 

There was a bedroom next, everything made of the same wood as the cabinet in the bathroom. The bed was as large as the bath- meaning overly large, too big for just him. It was the sort of bed you only got if there was another person that stayed in it with you. Clint didn’t bother looking at the rest of the room, and moved quickly to the third door. 

Inside was the only room that looked used. The room itself was large, maybe twenty feet by fifteen feet. Along one of the shorter walls, opposite the door, were two desks, one clean and neat, while the other was cluttered with dusty papers. The majority of the room was cut off with a glass wall. From what Clint could see, inside was what looked to be a kind of jungle gym, with boxes and sheets of metal standing as random walls inside. In a case next to the door was a bow, customized with oddly pointed ends and what looked to be joints. It looked complicated, but Clint still pulled it out, the weight shockingly familiar in his hand as he measured it, thought hard about what he should do. 

With an almost muscle memory flick of the wrist, the bow turned into some kind of staff, which he spun easily in his hand For a moment, he stared at it, a sense of power and safety washing over him. 

His fathers had let have a bow back on the farm, and let him join Archery in 4H. He had loved the simple piece of curved wood and string, but this… This bow was special. It was meant for him, and him alone. Hell, it had probably been designed by Tony. before the incident, with things he had asked for. 

But with all the sense of safety it gave him, he still felt like something wasn’t quite the same. That it wasn’t quite home. 

“Clint,” Natasha said behind him, by the cluttered desk. “Come look at this.” 

He walked over, the bow turned staff still in his hand. Natasha was holding a picture frame, simple and a bit dull, but the picture inside gave it life. The picture was of Clint, before the incident, and a man who looked a few years older, but still made Clint’s heart ache, even now. They were standing in front of a bar, the sign above their heads clear in clean painted words on wood. And Clint knew where that bar was. He had seen it when he had looked out the window on the jet. 

“We could easily get out,” Natasha said next to him, studying his face. “We could call the man from before back here. Could probably trick him in taking us to the lobby. Knock him out when we get there and make a run for it.” 

“Agent Romanov,” the AI, JARVIS, said carefully. “It would be wise for you and Agent Barton to stay inside. A… situation has arisen outside.” 

“A situation?” Clint asked, instinctively grabbing the quiver. “What’s going on?” 

“That should not be any of your concern,” the AI scolded. “You are currently of only sixteen years of age, and are to remain either on your floor, or Agent Romanovs. Shall I queue a movie in the living room? Or connect a video call with your fathers? I am sure they are very worried.” 

Clint glanced at Natasha, who returned the look. They had a silent conversation with their eyes, wondering what to do while simultaneously agreeing in a split second. With a small nod, they scattered, Clint diving under the cluttered desk as Natasha dove under the other. Underneath both desks, there was a large grate, likely just big enough for them to worm their way through as adults. It was also out of view of any cameras. 

Clint could remember using it once before, with the man who had been in the photo. Holy hell, he remembered something from before the incident!

With a sharp tug, the grate came open, leaning against the back of the desk as Clint slipped inside. He pulled it closed behind him, and began to crawl his way through the vent. The voice of JARVIS drifted after him, calling urgently for them to return. 

They ignored him, of course. 

After a few minutes, the two vents joined, and Natasha crawled behind him, silent with a deadly look in her eyes. They went on and on, pausing to look out some grates at the commotion in the halls. There were men like the ones at the camp there, in jet black suits and red or silver detail. There were men fighting them, now, keeping a line and pushing them back, who wore dark blue, with the same patch on it, labeled ‘SHIELD’. 

Clint didn’t stop at any of the grates, watching as floors changed, faces changed, and they made their way down to the ground floor. The majority of fighting seemed to be happening there, and Clint waited for the perfect moment before he jumped out, Natasha right behind him. Men and women in the blue suits ran by, shooting at men and women in black as Clint made a dash for the lobby door, Natasha scooping a gun up from the floor from where it was dropped. 

“Is that  _ Barton  _ and  _ Romanov _ ?” a British voice called from behind them as they dodged a man in black, who had veered to grab at them. 

Instantly, so many faces turned to them, just as Clint reached the center of the room. He and Natasha froze, the room falling still for a moment. For a breath, no one moved, then the room was thrown into even more chaos. Men in black went to bum rush them, while men in blue made wild attempts to pull them away, or stop the men in black. Natasha held up the gun, wide eyed but seeming oddly calm as she shot down men in black. Clint notched an arrow, pulling the string back with an easy breath before letting it fly, zipping around men and women to make contact with the window and exploded. 

“Come on!” Clint shouted as he ran for the window, now shattered and open. 

Natasha trailed behind him, firing the last of the bullets with deadly precision until they were jumping over a ‘SHIELD’ barricade. The agents cried out in surprise as they ran past, disappearing into the crowd as it went mad, the pedestrians fleeing as men in black tried to give chase. They ran for nearly ten minutes, weaving in and out of alleys until they stood in an alley across the bar from the photo. 

He turned to glance at Natasha, wondering if they really should go in. She gave him a quick nod, and they were making a dash to the door. 

Just as they reached to center of the road, the roar of a chopper sounded above them, and Clint barely had time to make a lunged into the opening door of the bar as some kind of net came down. The claw snapped shut behind him as he fell into a set of strong, familiar arms. With a triumphant grin, he turn to look at Natasha expecting her to be right next to him, only to find her struggling within a net, across the street, as it rose into the sky. 

“No!” he shouted, jumping up to pull an arrow from his quiver, or run out, or… anything! 

But the strong arms pulled him back, holding him as he struggled to reach his friend. Clint watched as Natasha was flown away, the jet disappearing over buildings. He continued his struggle, trying to get free to save her, because she was his friend, and she had just been… Natasha had just been snatched! 

“Clint,” a steady, calm voice said, making him still. 

And he turned, wide eyed as he looked at the man from the photo. The man was looking down at him, face calm, but his eyes betrayed him. His eyes showed the swirl of emotion he felt: fear, nervousness, fondness, love… 

And a single name came to Clint’s mind as his chest tightened. 

“Phil…” 

XxXXxX

Steve stayed in the living room for a bit after Tony left. He couldn’t understand why Tony would leave, or how he had known that code. Sam didn’t tell him, and left soon after getting a call on a communicator, leaving Steve in the penthouse with Peter/ 

His cousin wandered the floor, giving him careful glances before joining him by the window. 

“I could find a way into the vents,” Peter whispered. “Find a way out, get you and Tony, go home. Call Tony’s Aunt for help, or Aunt May.” 

Steve frowned, thinking hard. What Bruce had said ran through his mind again, rolling over and over, unsure of what to believe. Was it true? Was he really an Avenger, turned into a teen? He’d heard of them, since he lived in Queens. Wouldn’t he know? 

But it seemed so true. Thor and Loki were so obvious, and he could remember learning about Steve Rogers, Captain America, in school. One of his classmates voices echoed in his mind as he remembered looking down at the two pictures of Steve Rogers in his history book, one black and white and the other in color. 

_ Wow, Steve, you look just like him.  _

He shook the thought from his mind, and focused on the task at hand. Something told him that the men that had shot at them at camp wouldn’t give up just because they were at the tower. They needed to leave, fast, because everyone knew where the Avengers base was. It was a beacon smack dab in the center of Manhattan. If the men wanted them, they would be all the easier to find at the tower. 

He thought about what he knew about the tower, from a tour he had taken in elementary school: the top was the penthouse, floors 96 through 90 were unused, floors 89 through 84 were Avengers, the 83rd and 82nd were hangar, floors 81 through 71 were conference rooms, and the rest were a mix of labs, offices, and other miscellaneous floors. But there were three basement floors, one of which was a garage. 

An idea struck, and Steve casually slipped his hands into his pockets to check for his wallet, wary of the AI. He had to hold back a hoot when he felt the leather. He must have put it in his pocket on instinct this morning. 

“I know that look,” Peter says with a grin. “What’s the plan, Steve?” 

“Well,” Steve says with his own grin. “I think we shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to explore the famous Avengers Tower. Why don’t you go find a map while I go find Tony. I hear there’s some cool cars in the garage.” 

Peter blinked, then nodded quickly, watching as Steve strode to the elevator. The door opened for him, and he stepped inside, glancing up at the ceiling. 

“Jarvis?” Steve said as the doors closed. “Can you take me to Tony?” 

There was a pause, as if the AI was thinking, before it spoke, almost hesitantly. “I can take you to the floor sir is on, but I can not guarantee he will allow you inside the lab.” And with that, the elevator began its descent. 

When the elevator stopped, the doors opened to reveal a wall made of frosted glass, with a door made of the same glass. It opened almost as soon as the elevator had, and Steve walked inside the cluttered lab. It was so… alive in the lab. The lab was filled with bits and pieces of unfinished projects, Tony sitting on a stool, three robotic arms on wheels surrounding him. 

All four were already watching the door, as if waiting for him, and he gave a careful smile. 

“Hey Tony,” Steve said as he walked in, hands in his pockets. “Peter and I are planning to take a look around, maybe visit the garage. You coming?” 

He mentally begged and pleaded with whatever power there was, be it God or something else, that Tony would say yes. The dreadful feeling was growing, and he was beginning to wonder just what would happen if they stayed. Steve had the strangest feeling that someone would… That someone would die. He just didn’t want to see it be Peter or Tony. 

“Sure,” Tony said without much trouble, walking to one of the many tables. “Just let me grab a few things. You’re free to take a look around.” 

So Steve turned to wander along the tables, looking at what looked to be watches, phones, and, oddly enough, arrows. He found bits and pieces of metal panels, wires, and chips, but he came to a stop towards the end of a table, picking up a round disk. 

Well, not a round dist. It was a shield, with two red rings and one white one, surrounding a white star sitting in a circle of blue. The metal was cold, but it seemed to warm quickly under his touch. He gave it a careful spin, watching it before he grinned. It was Captain America’s shield! This the shield of a hero of World War II! 

He slipped it onto his arm, holding it up to show Tony. 

“What do you think?” 

For a second, he had the strangest feeling of deja vu, but he shook it off. Tony turned, blinking, but soon laughed, grinning. God, Steve wanted to make sure he could always see that smile. 

“I think it’s great,” Tony said as he put something in his ear. He was holding two cell phones, as well as a little box, barely an inch tall. “I think you should keep it.” 

“Keep it?” Steve asked, taking the box and the phones. The phones went to his pockets, as one would probably be for Peter, and they both needed the upgrade, but the box was something else, he opened it up, finding two sets of little ear pieces. He was sure again that one was for Peter and the other for him, so he put them in, though they didn’t even seem to be there once they were in. 

“Yeah,” he said with a shrug, moving to the elevator. “I mean, the original is probably still be with Captain America, wherever he is, so it’s probably just a prototype.” 

There was a pause as those words sunk in, and Steve was somewhat relieved. So Tony didn’t believe the Avengers and Bruce. It helped Steve relax a little. After all, he didn’t want to be Captain America. He just wanted to be Steve, and he wanted Tony to just be Tony, so they could be just Steve and Tony. But at the same time, why would those men want them? If they weren’t the Avengers, then what could those men possibly want? Then again, if they just thought they were, then it didn’t matter if they really weren’t or not. 

They entered the elevator, standing in a tense silence as it went down. And Steve hated every second of it. So he reached out, about half way down, and carefully took Tony’s hand. At first, Tony looked up at him in surprise, and looked away with a little grin. But there was something in his eyes that Steve couldn’t quite place. 

Maybe… guilt? 

He shook off the thought as the as the doors opened, lights flicking on to bathe the ‘garage’ in light. The garage was huge, as big, if not bigger than a football stadium. There were several rows of classic and fancy cars from a decade and a half ago, though they all looked modded in some way or another, on one side. Those must have been Tony Stark’s. On the other side, a row or two of what looked to be civilian cars and vans sat, looking more used and updated then the other cars. They were probably cars used by the Avengers for everyday life and undercover missions. 

But what really caught Steve’s attention was the line of motorcycles between the fancy cars and the civilian ones. Peter was already there, looking at a motorcycle at the end of the line. Steve could barely hide his excitement, squeezing Tony’s hand as they walked over, Peter looking up at them. 

“Hey Tony,” Peter said with a grin, then turned to Steve. “I started looking around, and saw this bike. Isn’t this a-” 

“A Harley-Davidson, 2014 Softail Breakout?” Steve asked, grinning like mad, letting go of Tony’s hand to get a better look. “Yeah, it is. Gosh, compared to the one I saw last year, this one looks brand new…” 

“The motorcycle was a favorite of... Captain Rogers,” Jarvis said carefully. “Per Sir’s request, I have continued on its upkeep. It has been modified to have a higher maximum speed, an easier control, and, a personal request from Captain Rogers, make it capable for missions. Would you like to have it, Young Steven? Your records say you have a motorcyclists license, which I assume is in your wallet in your pocket.” 

Steve stood straight, eyes wide as he stared down at the bike. It was absolutely beautiful, Steve’s favorite model, and belonged to a super hero. He couldn’t just take it. It didn’t belong to him. 

“Jarvis,” Tony said in surprise. “I don’t think-” 

Before Tony could finish, the building shook, a roar sounding from the floor above. Steve quickly moved to steady Tony, eyes wide as he heard a metallic clang from the elevator doors. It was as if someone was trying to knock the doors in, to get inside. 

“There has been a breach in the elevator,” the AI said simply. “I suggest you all go on a trip. Scans of Young Peter indicate he is part spider, and is likely Spiderman. Sir, please go with Young Steven on the motorcycle.” 

Tony seemed to hesitate, but Steve jumped into action. He jumped to the bike as Peter ran towards the garage door, pulling his hood over his face. After placing the shield on the front on the handlebars, Steve pulled Tony onto the bike, making sure he sat. His boyfriend looked startled as he revved the bike into action just as the elevator doors exploded, men in black suits pouring in. 

“Hold on,” Steve said, giving Tony just enough time to wrap his arms around his waist before speeding to the now open garage door. Behind him, Tony let out a cry of surprise, clinging to Steve as they roared out of the garage. Peter was flying above them on webs, wrapping up men in black that got to close as Steve swerved around cars and people. They made their way, first, to the Bronx. Steve knew a place where they could disappear before they went home to Queens. 

XxXXxX

Natasha had been furious with herself for getting captured.

How on earth had she failed to notice the stupid chopper? How had she failed to escape the massive net? How very stupid of her… She had to be cautious now. More than before. 

Not that she got a chance before she was knocked out. 

When she came to, she was in a room. More of a cell, actually, with no windows or real bed. The walls were made of stone, as if the room had been carved straight out of the rock. There were no cracks between the walls or the wall and the floor to show they were separate parts, just one solid piece. 

The only thing in the room was the small, almost non existent, mattress that she was laying next to. Whoever these guys were (Probably Hydra), they weren’t polite enough to put an unconscious captive on their bed. They had simply dropped her on the floor.

Centered on one wall was a solid metal door, with a slot in the bottom that Natasha supposed was for a food tray. A bit of light shined through, but other then that, the room was fairly dark. The only sound was the soft whispers of guards outside. 

She didn’t pay their words much mind, and instead started to get up, to look for an exit, but just as soon as she started, she stopped. The guards outside had follow silent. 

“Sir!” The two men said together. 

“Gentlemen,” a heavy German accented voice said, a scowl clear in his voice. “I hear you have failed to bring me the Captain.” 

There was a pause, and Natasha moved to lay back down, cautious. There was a certain… sound to the man's voice that set off all of Natasha’s internal warnings, sent all of her nerves on high alert. 

“No,” One of the men finally said. “We did not. We did manage to get the girl, though, sir. I believe she will-” 

There was a boom, making Natasha tense. The sound of what must have been a gun going off was amplified by the room, making it sound as if a bomb had gone off right next to her ear. She couldn’t hear what the German man said next, but she had to make sure her eyes were closed as the door opened. 

There was a thud of boots on stone floor, and she had to suppress a shiver at the feeling of the man leering down at her. Whoever he was, he was powerful, and could kill her in an instant. She had to find a way out fast. Didn’t seem like he was to please about getting her instead of Steve. 

Then, there was a sharp kick to her stomach, and the harsh crack of ribs breaking. In an instant, she lashed out, her arm flashing forward to wrap around the man's leg, to pull it out from under him. The cold press of metal on her neck sent a familiar shiver down her spine, causing her to pause. It had been a while since someone had pressed a gun to her. Not since Marcus trained her when she was seven.

She expected the man to say something, to taunt her for her weak escape attempt. Instead, she got another hard kick, and was pulled to her feet. Before she could get a look at the man's face, a hard punch cracked her nose, bruised her face, split her lip. 

The beating continued, and Natasha struggled to stay awake, to gather as much information she could. From the angel, she could assume he was about six foot, give or take a few inches depending on the boots he was wearing. The force of the punches told her that he was either superhuman, inhuman, or mutant. 

The German accent, however, was worrying. If he was superhuman, and German… He could be Red Skull. After all, there had been possible sighting reports on him recently. If he was back, and he was after them, or after Steve… 

She would have to get out, fast, and warn SHIELD. Warn Steve and Tony… 

There was a short break in the beating, Natasha’s eye swollen to much to actually look at him. Swirling the blood around in her mouth, she spit in his general direction before he could speak. The splat of blood and spit hitting skin was all to satisfying. 

Another pause, as the german man likely wiped it off his face. 

“You still have a great will,” the german man said, laughing. “I will have much fun breaking you… Not as much as I would have with the Captain, but fun nonetheless. You will be a great addition to Hydra, Black Widow.” 

And with that, a final hard punch landed on her temple, and she crumbled to the floor. She tried to stay awake, try to see outside the door, but her vision was quickly turning black as she felt her hands being tied. Then, she succumbed to the darkness just as she gained the feeling of being dragged. 

This wasn’t going to end well…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Natasha is in some deep shit...


	13. Double Battles and Tony’s Aunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Hulk get to do some beatings to Hydra. Tony has a serious talk with Skye.

Thor lead the way to the communal meeting floor of the tower with Jane and Loki right behind him. There was much to discuss, and so much they needed to know: his parents, Asgard, the team… Loki and his trick. 

He would, of course, have to talk with Jane later in private. For now, they would have a meeting. 

“Thor, Jane, and Loki, arriving,” Jarvis said above them as the door opened. 

Inside, Thor noticed their old comrade, the mighty War Machine, and the Man of Iron’s old lover. They looked surprised to see him, though Thor could understand why. They had been gone for some time, and at least one of them had just seen him as a teen less half an hour ago. 

“Thor?” Rhodes asked, standing up from his chair. “You’re… you!” 

“Aye,” he responded, setting Mjolnir on the conference table. “Mjolnir had called to me, and returned me to my rightful form. My brother’s magic can be quite… problematic.” 

The two share a look, then glance toward Loki, still a meager teen. He could not fault them for their concern, even if it was not the same as his own. If Loki’s magic had left his body and returned to Loki himself, then why was his brother still a Midgardian teenager? They were likely worried about what this would mean for the others. 

“Thor,” Miss Potts said as she stood from her own chair. “It’s good to see you again. Can you tell us about what happened? I just talked to Tony and…” 

“Is he all right?” Jane asked, moving to her side. “He didn’t get hurt during extraction, did he?” 

Miss Potts shook her head, sighing. “He remembers… everything. He’s been living with Agent Johnson from SHIELD.” 

“Quake?” 

“Is there any other Agent Johnson?” 

“Ladies,” Rhodes said as he glanced at them, though his own anger was clear. “Now is not the time. We need to get to the bottom of this magic business. Thor, Loki, what can you tell up?” 

“It was a simple trick,” Loki mumbled from beside Thor. “It was meant to simply turn them all into children for an hour or so. How it became so… out of control is beyond me.” 

Thor frowned, thinking back to that day. They had been discussing plans, getting ready to move out. He and the Man of Iron had been playing with the Captain’s shield and Mjolnir… They had turned the shield upside down so they could place Mjolnir inside like a child's top and spin it. The Captain had been rather irate for not paying attention, and they had mostly ignored it, until there had been a flash of green inside the silver of the shield. 

Perhaps that had been what happened. Mjolnir had acted as a lightning rod for the magic, and the shield as an amplifier? 

Thor, however, did not get a chance to suggest his theory. The floor rumbled, and everyone stood, the lights flicking over head. Then an outstanding, thunderous boom sounded from far below. 

“Colonel Rhodes,” the ceiling voice said quickly but rather calmly. “Hydra agents are flooding the lobby. SHIELD are already advancing on them.” 

For a moment, the occupants of the room stood frozen, looking at each other. Someone had to go check on the others, and someone had to lead the charge. Thor knew that Loki could not fight, and Miss Potts would not be able to as well. So, placing a hand on Loki’s back, he pushed him forward, towards Jane and Miss Potts. 

“Loki will stay here with you,” Thor said, looking at the two women. “The Colonel and I will go with the others to fight these foes.” 

Grabbing hold of Mjolnir, Thor saw the look of fury on Jane’s face from the corner of his eye, but he had no time to bother with that. He had to reach the battlefield. 

Instead of taking the elevator, he jumped through a window, landing on the ground outside the lobby. A few Midgardian Officers gave out cries of surprise, and a few spectators cheered, flashes of cameras surrounding him. Ignoring them, for the most part, Thor began to spin the hammer, taking a few steps forward before launching Mjolnir at a group of Hydra men. They scattered, and Thor continued with his fighting. 

Colonel Rhodes was quick to join him, coming from the elevator, with Jane in toe. She looked rather displeased, and held out a hand, shouting something that he couldn’t hear over the roar of the battle. And before Thor could figure out what was happening, Mjolnir was flying into Jane’s hand, sending sparks of electricity over her as the Asgardian armor appeared around her. 

And with a cry of strength, she threw it at a man with a large gun. The head of the hammer hit the barrel of the gun, shattering it into pieces, before Mjolnir smashed into a wall. With a glance at each other, they continued on fighting, because at that moment, Thor realized something. 

Jane was no longer a Midgardian damsel. She was a warrior, like him, like Sif, like every Asgardian. 

The fight went on, Thor and Jane trading Mjolnir between. The lobby of the tower was in chaos, people shouting and guns firing. Lightning sparked out many of the lights, and an explosion sounded from near the elevator. The War Machine went to deal with it, leaving Thor, Jane, the Ant-Man, and the Winter Soldier to deal with the lobby and the Hydra/SHIELD fight. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Thor could have sworn he’d seen Clint and Natasha running through the room. He had been about to go check when the floor rumbled, a roar causing nearly everyone to stop. Then, the monstrous form of the Hulk came crashing through the floor, picking up the men in black and red Hydra suits, to throw them out. 

“Hulk SMASH!” 

Thor was glad to have another ally join the fray. 

XxXXxX

Bruce remained in the chamber for a long while after everyone else had left. He didn’t like that the Hulk was so angry, so insistent to come out. He understood that the Other Guy liked Tony, and Natasha, but the reaction that he felt… It was strange. 

For now, however, they would be safe in the tower, away from Hydra, and away from SHIELD. Tony would be fine, and knowing him, he was probably already remembering, if he hadn’t already. Natasha and Clint already seemed to be remembering as well, though Steve… didn’t seem to at all. 

Thor was a different story, as it was so hard to tell with him, and Loki. 

Just as he was starting to calm down, however, there was a rumble from downstairs, like an explosion. Every muscle in Bruce’s body tensed in an instant. 

“Jarvis?” he asked, eyes wide. The other guy started to wake up again. 

“An accident in a development lab,” the AI said rather quickly. To quickly… “There is nothing to worry about, Dr. Banner.” 

For some reason, Bruce felt… calm. Standing up, knowing that the AI was hiding something, he moved to walk to the door of the chamber. 

“Then everything is alright for me to come out?” he asked. “I’m much calmer now. I’d like to go see Tony.” 

When there was no reply, Bruce knew that things weren’t as they seemed. Something was happening, and he would be there to help. 

“Jarvis,” he said looking towards the ceiling. “Open the door.” 

After that things became a blur to him. He remembered the nearly forgotten feeling of turning into the Other Guy, or as Tony called it, Hulking out. His muscles stretched, and his head grew almost… numb. Just as the door opened, he saw the skin of his hand turn green, and he stumbled towards the elevator. 

After that, everything was a blurry haze. He remembered seeing Thor, and an Asgardian warrior woman, as well as Colonel Rhodes. When he woke up again, wisps of green smoke were coming off of his body, which was somehow an adults again. 

“The Hulk has disrupted the flow of Loki’s magic,” a voice said from his left. 

Looking over, Bruce found Thor standing beside Dr. Foster, who was looking over a page on a clipboard. 

“Seems like disrupting the magic is the key,” Dr. Foster said, looking up at Bruce. “You should be fine, by the way. To get up and move around, that is. Until we know more, I suggest against turning into the Hulk.” 

“So act normal like I did before?” he asked, slowly getting up. “What about… What about the women who took care of me?” 

“We can not find them,” Thor said darkly, turning away. He looked… sad. As if he had just watched someone close to him die. “Nor the couple who had taken care of me and my brother. I fear they are dead.” 

Bruce chewed his lip, looking down at the floor. If Tina and Jolyn Adams had been taken, with Jolyn’s extreme heat, then what could the humans like the Young’s do to protect themselves? It was a dark thought, Bruce knew, but there wasn’t much he could actually  _ do _ . If they were taken then they would need to know who took them, why, where, how. There were to many missing variables. 

Shaking his head, wanting to push the thoughts from his mind, Bruce stood. 

“We should go to debrief,” Bruce said, feeling rather… in control for once. “I want to know what’s going on with the others.” 

Dr. Foster bit her, looking unsure, but they moved on towards the elevator, Thor carrying the conversation, talking a bit about his adventures with Loki while in the child state. They went up to the meeting floor from the medical bay, where they found Loki, Pepper Potts, Colonel Rhodes, James Barnes, Sam Wilson, and Scott Lang. A giant ant was under the table, trying to get Colonel Rhodes to… pet it?

“Damn it Scott!” Rhodes shouted, trying to push the insect away with a foot as Wilson and Barnes watched in amusement. “What did I say about ants in the meeting room?!” 

“Aww, come on,” Lang said as he held out an orange slice, the ant returning to him to eat it. “She just likes you. Plus, Cassie will be back in a few days, so it won't be much longer.”

The ant gave an excited noise at the sound of the name Cassie, though most ignored it. 

Pepper looked up at that moment, finding Bruce, Thor, and Dr. Foster standing in the doorway. The others were quick to notice, Barnes seeming more tense, and about to jump up to shout. 

“Bruce,” Pepper said before anyone could speak. “You’re awake.” 

“Yes,” he said rather uncomfortably, moving to sit down. The ant came to investigate him, and he carefully pet it. “I wanted to come see who all was here, and find out what happened during the fight. Did we lose anyone?” 

Barnes crossed his arm, glaring up at the ceiling. “Not in the way you think,” he grumbled. “They left. Jarvis won't tell us where they went.” 

With a wince, Bruce looked down at the table. “Who did we lose?” 

“Romanov and Barton,” Wilson started, leaning back in his chair. “They were on Barton's floor and must have escaped through a tunnel or something that none of us knew about. We don’t have permission to see the building blueprints, not even Pepper, and we don’t have access to those floors.” 

“They aren’t helpless, though,” Dr. Foster added as she sat down as well. “Clint took the bow that had been left on his floor, and Natasha had taken a few guns from Hydra agents. They fought their way out on their own.” 

“Who else have we lost?” 

Everyone glanced around, and Bruce could make a guess. He let Rhodes say it anyway. 

“Tony left on a motorcycle with Steve,” he said, thinking hard. “They had been in the garage when Hydra attacked, and the camera’s were blown out, so we don’t know for sure if the other kid made it out, but camera’s outside show that Spiderman helped at least the two of them escape. They disappear somewhere in Manhattan, and Jarvis won't track the bike for us.” 

For a moment, Bruce thought, thinking hard on what to say, what to do. Should they look for Steve and Tony? Was Peter with them? If they found the two, maybe three, teens, then they could ask at least Tony for help. They would even have at least one starting place in finding them. Agent Skye had been in the role of Tony’s aunt and guardian, and Peter and Steve had been living in Queens. 

On the other hand, if they went looking for Natasha and Clint, they would have to start at SHIELD. If they were remembering, then that would have been where they went. 

“For now,” Bruce said as he got up. “I think Dr. Foster and myself will take Loki and Thor to the lab, and start working out how to change the others back when we find them. The rest of you should get some rest. It seems like you guys haven’t slept in a while, and you’ll all need to be at 100 percent when we leave.”

“Alright,” Rhodes said, getting up. “We’ll meet back here in about six hours.” 

And with that, they went their separate ways for now. 

XxXXxX

The entire ride to Steve and Peter’s home in Queens, Tony couldn’t stop thinking. 

He thought about how Skye had lied to him, how he had known all along, how he had been so blind… No, not blind. Willfully ignorant. He wanted things to stay as they had been, at least for a while longer. Tony had enjoyed being a normal teen: having friends, going to school with kids his age, coming home to family instead of an empty mansion. 

Of course, now he was aware of how much trouble they were in. While Steve had his shield, and Peter was apparently Spiderman, Tony only had a pair of gauntlets. He had no suit, no money, no way to keep the other two safe. 

Tony was worried. 

Tony was scared. 

Tony was afraid. 

When they finally pulled up into a garage, Peter having gone ahead to make sure it was safe, Tony immediately moved to look around, needing something to do with his hands. If he could find something to make weapons like he had when fighting the Mandarin, then maybe he would be help. Maybe he would be able to be of use. 

Steve, looking rather worried, excused himself to go find some food. Now, with only Peter and Tony left in the garage, the other brunette moved to sit with him. 

“Think we’ll be safe here?” Peter asked, glancing at Tony. “I mean, it’s not like they could have followed us.” 

“They can track us,” Tony said, not looking up as he put some materials on the coffee table, starting to mix up a few makeshift bombs. “Through our phones, traffic cameras, satellites. They’ll know exactly where we are. The question is, who finds us first? Hydra, or SHIELD?” 

“SHIELD?” Peter asked, blinking. “They’ve tried to recruit me a few times. They stopped when they found out that I was partnering up with my boyfriend.” 

“Boyfriend?” he asked, glancing up. “I didn’t know you were…” 

“Yeah. Steve doesn’t know either, since he wouldn’t really approve of him. He’s… a bit older than us, and his job is pretty dangerous. But he’s a good guy, really.” 

“How much older are we talking?” 

Peter winced. “Six years? He’s twenty-two.” 

Tony frowned. “Have you guys…” He waved a hand vaguely, hoping Peter would get it. 

Instantly, Peter’s eyes widened. “Oh God, no! He won’t do anything more then kiss my cheek or hold my hand. In fact, the only reason he stayed with me after he found out that I’m sixteen is because I told him that I knew what this all meant and that even if he tried to leave, I’d just find him again.” The softness in Peter’s eyes was… it was heart warming. “He doesn’t want to hurt me, I know he doesn’t, and he’s willing to wait as long as it takes to be with me, just like I am.” 

“Whoa,” Tony said as he blinked. “You guys must really love each other.” 

“Yeah… We do.” 

“So, what does he do?” 

At that, Peter winced again. 

“Ah, well… He… does a lot of stuff. But he might actually-” 

“Guys,” Steve’s voice called from the kitchen. “We got company” 

In an instant, Tony had a gauntlet extended, the unpainted silver metal gleaming as he carried a few christmas ornament bombs in the other hand. Moving quickly, but as silently as he could, Tony made his way into the kitchen, finding Steve crouched by a door with a window and a curtain. 

Moving to him, on the opposite side of the door, Tony gave Steve the bombs, holding a metal finger to his lips to show that Steve needed to be quiet. Slowly rising, Tony moved the curtain just slightly, so he could peer out into the area behind the house. 

There was, of course, a tiny yard, which had a few flower beds that Tony could only assume were May Parker’s. A metal fence surrounded it, and a small gate at the far end led to an alley. But it was what was in the alley that had gotten Steve into such a tizzy. There were two pitch black van’s parked outside with four—no, five people standing about. Two men, both in suits, and three women, all wearing some kind of tactical uniform. 

Only, Tony recognized all of them. 

Standing up, he ignored Steve and Peter’s stares as he moved to grab the door knob. The two backed away, watching as the gauntlet folded back into the bracelet on his wrist. 

“It’s… my aunt Skye,” Tony said as he avoided their eyes. “I’ll tell you more when I get back. Throw those ornaments at anyone who tries to come in.” 

And with that, he slipped out of the door, making sure that those outside could see as little as possible before he closed it. Coulson and Skye looked up at him from where they had been talking in hushed tones. He could see the relief on both of their faces—on all of the faces of those present. 

Walking forward, his fists clenched, Tony could feel all eyes on him as he moved to stand in front of the gate, not opening it to stand with them. They could talk over the fence. 

“Agents,” Tony said to the group. He could see the way Mack and Elena had looked away in guilt, though Melinda scowled. The wince from Skye hurt a little, but he ignored it as he crossed his arms. “What are you doing here?” 

“Good to see that you remember,” Coulson said, giving him that business smile and nod. “You do remember, don't you Stark?” 

With a glance at the kitchen window, where he could see Steve and Peter watching and muttering to each other, Tony nodded. “I do. Steve doesn’t.” 

Coulson nodded, and looked to Skye. She looked almost in pain, and it hurt Tony to see her like this, but he knew that it was just her guilt from the lies she had told him. Like the other agents, the ones he had seen as family, as more aunts and uncles, or grandparents in Coulson’s case, they would have to live with lies, with the guilt. 

“Tony,” Skye said as she looked at him, almost desperately. “You have to know that I really do care about you. I know you weren’t really my nephew, but I raised you like you were, and you always will be to me.” 

“I’m older than you,” Tony said simply. “Weather or not I return to my age from when this all started, or turn into the age I should be, I’m older than you.” 

“Then my brother,” she told him. “You’re family, Tony, and you always will be.” 

“Why are you here?” 

The two glanced at each other, before Coulson spoke again. “Both Thor and Dr. Banner have returned to normal. Loki, however, has not. We believe that something has to interfere with the magic that was infused into your bodies before you can return to normal. Once all of you are normal again, Loki should return as well.” 

“I kind of figured,” Tony said plainly. “There’s something else. What is it?” 

“Agent Barton and Agent Romanov escaped from Avengers Tower during the fighting like you three did. They made it to the bar that doubles as the SHIELD headquarters entrance.” 

“But?” 

“Agent Barton was the only one to make it inside. Agent Romanov was taken hostage. Her current location is unknown.” 

Taking a deep breath, Tony frowned at the ground, placing a hand on his chin. So Hydra had Natasha. What were they planning to do with her? They obviously weren’t planning on killing her, or they would have done it on the street. Not that it mattered, as whatever they had planned would be bad. 

“We’ll have to stay in hiding until Steve remembers,” Tony said as he looked at them. “Once you guys are gone, I’ll remove anything that could be used to track us, and set up a few tracker's traps. Then, even you guys won’t know where we are.” 

“Good,” Coulson said. “However, Captain Rogers slow recollection is troubling.” 

“He could have a mental block,” Skye said, carefully looking at Tony. “I know that you’ve known since it happened. I could tell. But you had something stopping you from consciously remembering. You hadn’t wanted to.” 

“So?” Tony hissed, glaring. He was being childish. He didn’t care. 

“Before this, he lost 70 years,” she said, looking between him and Coulson. “Everyone he knew was either dead or dying. Something like that has to be traumatic. Now he’s lived an entirely new life, grew up as a normal kid from Queens, only to find out that he’s missed another fifteen, sixteen years? No offense, but I would rather live the lie and never have to remember.” 

Tony couldn’t help but wince. He understood wanting to live the lie, to not remember. It would be hard for Steve. He could react badly to whatever forced him to remember. And the measures that might have to be taken to do that? No matter what it was, it would crush Steve. 

Chewing his lip, Tony looked over his shoulder, to where Steve was watching. The blond gave a nervous thumbs up, which Tony returned before turning back to the agents. 

“We’re done here,” he said finally. “I need to get to work.” 

With a glance to Skye, Coulson nodded, turning to get into one of the vans. The other agents followed, though Skye remained for a moment. 

“I’m sorry for what I did,” she said slowly. “Coulson just wanted to protect you all. And I really do care.” 

For a moment, Tony said nothing, not looking at her. When she began to turn, he caved, and did the last thing probably should have. 

“Wait.” She paused, turning back to look at him hopefully as he sighed. “Maggie, you remember her?” 

“Magnolia? Of course. She’s your best friend.” Skye’s eyes narrowed, and her hand twitched, in a way that Tony recognized as the look she got when she wanted to get hacking. “Why?” 

“Her foster family is sending her back to the orphanage at the end of the week, and they’re going to put down her, well, our dog Whisky. Can you do me a favor, and maybe get her and Whisky out? I told her I would help, and I’m planning on taking her on as a youth intern at the tower once I’m back to normal.” 

“Yeah,” Skye said as she smiled slightly. “Sure, I can do that.” 

Tony couldn’t help but smile a little back, saying the name of Skye’s boyfriend is a teasing voice. “Say hi to Robbie for me.” 

“Don’t worry, I will.” And with that, she was in the van, and they were gone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the fight scenes sucked, but I did the best I could. Poor Steve though...


	14. Making Plans, Ghosts of the Past, and Family Sorrow.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter helps Steve make new plans for a hideout. Natasha welcomes a part of herself back, and says goodbye to another. Clint dreams of memories, and explains a few things to the parents of the Avengers.

Steve was worried. He was worried out of his mind. His friends from school often called him a mother hen, and he’s had the nickname ‘Mom’ since he was in middle school. Today, he was down right paranoid with worry. 

“I don’t like it,” Steve said as he peered out of the kitchen window. “Tony’s Aunt being part of SHIELD? And all those other people? He shouldn’t be out there alone.” 

SHIELD was crazy, just like Hydra. At least, Steve thought they were. It was an insane, idiotic idea that he could be Captain America, that Tony could be Iron Man. The Avengers were crazy, too. There was just no way. 

“It seems like he’s doing fine,” said Peter, Tony looking back at them with a reassuring smile. “But it makes you wonder… Did his aunt know that group Hydra would come after him when she took him in? I mean, I’ve had run-in’s with SHIELD before, and they don’t really listen to anyone, even when they’ve been proven wrong.” 

“I guess so.” There was a pause as those words went through Steve’s mind. “Wait, you’ve never told me that you’ve run into SHIELD before.” 

“I… I haven’t?” 

Peter looked nervous. Why on earth would Peter be nervous? The last time Steve had seen Peter this shooken up was when he became Spiderman. 

“Peter,” Steve said slowly. “You know you can talk to me about anything. We’re family.” 

His cousin didn’t reply, and simply looked out the window. It was clear that whatever was bothering Peter, he didn’t want to talk about it at that moment. Steve could wait, though. He’d always stay with family. 

Outside, the SHIELD agents were getting back into their van, though Tony’s aunt stayed for a moment. She left with a smile on her face, and Tony had a soft smile of his own when he turned to come back inside. Clearly, whatever had happened between them had been resolved. Or, at least, somewhat. 

“They said they’re sorry for the trouble that we’re in,” Tony said as he came in. “They just can’t do much for us. Besides the attempt to keep Hydra distracted and the Avengers off our backs, we’re mostly on our own. Gramps said we should scram, though. This place is a little too obvious.” 

“Alright. There’s a local park nearby with quite a few trees. Maybe we could-” 

“Actually,” interrupted Peter. “I think I know just the right place.” 

For a moment, Steve frowned. What place could Peter know about that he didn’t? Or maybe he just had a better idea. Their school? They could probably break in rather easily. Harry’s house? Mr. Osborn wouldn’t be happy, but it would be better than nothing. The look on Tony’s face, however, showed that it was no place the Steve knew about but one that Tony somehow did.

Five minutes later, they were all leaning over a map of New York City. Peter had circled a few blocks of the rather expensive area of Manhattan. 

“It’s here,” Peter said as he frowned at the map. “I think.” 

“Think?” Tony asked. 

“I’ve only been there a few times.”

Though Steve didn’t like it, they left soon after. They left behind the phones, and instead switched entirely to the comm earpieces. Tony had to take something out of the bike before they went off, the Captain America shield replica disguised so that no one would notice them as they went. 

When they finally arrived, it was to a tall, elegant building where Steve never would have imagined himself walking past, much less going inside. Peter led the way in, though, and walked to the counter where an old man, most likely an attendant, was sorting mail. 

“Excuse me?” Peter called, getting the man’s attention. “I’m here to see-” 

“Ah, Mr. Parker!” The man said with a smile. “Mr. Wilson has told me so much about you. It’s an honor to meet you.” 

Peter shifted, smiling nervously. Steve was nervous himself, as it was more than clear that Peter had no clue who this man was. But if they were here to see ‘Mr. Wilson’, then Peter must have met him during their senior center community service. After all, if this old man was calling him by his last name, he must be quite the respectable old man. Right? 

“Really?” Peter asked. “Well, could you open the elevator? I don’t have my key right now, and he refuses to let anyone fix the call buttons to his place.” 

“That he does,” the man mused, walking towards the elevator, pulling out a ring of keys. “If you can, try and convince him to let me fix the darn thing already.” 

“Of course, sir.” 

The elevator opened, and they all stepped inside. Steve didn’t see what button Peter pressed, but if he had to hazard a guess, he would have to say they were going to the top floor. Maybe the penthouse. So this man must be rich. 

However, when the elevator door opened, to show a living room full of guns. Steve stood frozen, staring in horror as Peter walked in with easy, pushing a laundry basket of what looked to be an assortment of different kinds of bullets out of his way. A mutt ran up to him, barking in excitement as it lapped at Peter’s hands. Tony followed, giving a low whistle. 

“Now this,” Tony said as he looked around. “This is an armory.” 

Steve said nothing, body tense as he looked around as well. Whoever lived here must be… some kind of criminal. There were guns just sitting on the floor that were illegal and probably cost millions of dollars. Steve had half a mind to turn around and find SHIELD to turn this guy in. Surely Tony’s aunt wouldn’t want him to be in a place like this! 

But just as Steve started to turn into a hallway, ready to pull out his phone to call the authorities, there was a click of a gun being cocked above him. He froze in an instant, eyes wide, instincts screaming ‘DANGER!’. Tony and Peter were still on the other side of the room, talking quietly with each other. 

“I don’t remember telling Doorman-Joe blond little strangers were allowed in.” The voice was male. Clearly male, and young. Probably not much older than himself, but still adult. A deadly, most likely insane adult. “So what are you doing here?” 

“Wade?” Peter called. 

For a moment there was silence, before the man spoke again, the gun making a click as it was put away. Steve turned, finding a man in a red and black mask and suit that he recognized as Deadpool. In an instant, the mask was off, revealing a scarred and bald face, with blue eyes that shined in a way that made Steve’s stomach lurch when they were turned to Peter. 

“Baby Boy!” The man, Wade, called in glee, carelessly tossing the gun to the side. “I thought you were going to be gone all summer. You should have called. The Author almost made me shoot blondy.” 

XxXXxX

Natasha was… confused. Very confused. She didn’t have a clue as to where she was, or how she got there, much less what she was doing. 

All around her, there was darkness. Though she could see, it was like looking through water, or straining her eyes to look through a blindfold. There was nothing, nothing but her. Her thoughts echoed almost as if she had said them allowed and fed the words into the abyss. 

Her limbs felt heavy, she noticed rather slowly. It was like she had run a marathon, but at the same time, it was like she hadn’t moved in a while. Or, maybe, like she was swimming. Natasha couldn’t be sure. 

Voices slowly started to register around her, speaking quickly in German. Did she know German? Apparently she did, since she recognized the language, and understood what was said. 

“She’s fading sir,” a frantic voice called out. 

“Zen pull her out!” a very angry voice called back. 

“We… We can’t!” 

The voices faded rather quickly, as another voice filled the room, and her own mind. It almost… sounded like her voice. 

“Hydra is full of idiots.” 

Turning, Natasha blinked as a form of a woman appeared nearby. Her body ached more, but Natasha stared. The woman was a bit taller than her, with a wave of red hair that matched Natasha’s own. She was wearing a tight black catsuit, twin golden bracelets around her wrists. A gun also hung at her side. 

“Idiots?” Natasha asked, trying to wake herself up. Surely this had to be a dream. 

“Yes,” the woman said, crossing her arms. “Hydra is full of them. And no, this is not a dream.” 

“Then what is it?” 

“My guess?” the woman asked. “It’s most likely our subconscious ‘happy place’. Clint always said that our happy place would be nowhere.” 

“So I was right. I am the Black Widow.” 

“You? No, you’re just Natasha Miller from Detroit. We may be the same person, but I am the Black Widow. I’m what you were, and what you could be again.” 

“So it’s my choice if I go back to how things were?” 

“Depends on what you mean by choice. Will you be fighting Hydra? Or will you lock me away so that you never have to worry about becoming the monster that I am?” 

The words sank into the space as if they were rocks, disrupting the space and sending ripples through the space. She couldn’t be a monster. She wasn’t! It wasn’t her fault, what the Red Room did. She got out, and she’s done good. She was an agent of SHIELD, and she’s a… 

She’s an Avenger. 

The Black Widow smiled. 

“Seems you’ve made up your mind,” she said. 

Natasha grew wide eyed as she felt the ache and stiffness fade, and she slowly lifted her hands to look at them. Green wisps of strange smoke was slowly pouring out of her pores, flying up and disappearing into the darkness. And the Black Widow changed, growing smaller, younger, as Natasha felt herself grow taller, older. 

“Stay strong,” the other her said as she turned. “We have so many people counting on us and waiting for us to come home.” 

And with that, the darkness faded, and Natasha blinked her eyes open. The Red Skull stood before her, nearly growling at her in his anger. 

“It seems that we were correct,” he hissed. “But know this. Even though your body may be stronger, I will have all the more fun breaking you.” 

She spat in his face again, smirking that her once again adult lungs was able to get it directly into the monster's eye. In a flash, one of the scientists swung at her, and she was once again in darkness. 

XxXXxX

When Clint woke, he began his routine as he always did. 

He started by going to the bathroom, showering. The water was rather cold, he would admit, but that wasn’t his fault. Someone always took extremely long showers. He then went to his kitchen, where food was already waiting, cooling off. 

There was, sadly, no one else on the floor for now. As much as Clint wanted someone to sit and eat breakfast with, he just didn’t have the motivation to wake up at four o’clock in the morning to do so. 

After breakfast, Clint made his way to the range, shot a few arrows, then pulled a few pranks while in the vents. That is, if they didn’t get a call. Around seven, he would crawl his way out, and to his floor once again, where he would meet Phil like an excited puppy, and give him a kiss. 

“Welcome back,” he always said, looking for clues as to what would be for dinner in the grocery bag Phil would carry. Jarvis always told them he would order their groceries for them, and have them delivered to their floor, but Phil liked having dinner be a surprise every night. They kept the spice cabinet stocked, and things for Clint to eat for lunch, but other then that, their fridge and pantry were rather empty. 

Phil would cook, something he started to do ages ago when he and Clint first got together. Clint had just been a SHIELD specialist trainee back then, and they had been stuck together in a check point base on their way to the Providence base due to a blizzard. Since Clint didn’t know how to cook anything but top ramen and canned soup, Phil cooked for him. He was meant to be his handler, to show him the ropes, but Clint had seen the way Phil had looked at him. It was the same way Clint looked at him. 

When they had reached Providence a week later than scheduled, they had blamed the blizzard. 

After dinner, they would head to the office, which doubled as a range, and Phil would do some paperwork while Clint did some target practice. He didn’t need it, but Phil liked having him nearby. They both liked being near the other when they could.

But there was something about today that felt off. 

Clint raked his mind as they moved from the office to the bedroom. He curled into Phil, thinking hard as they closed their eyes and Jarvis got the light. What was wrong? What was different? 

Then it hit him. 

Phil had left for a long term mission for SHIELD. He had made a team, practically adopted a hacker named Skye. Then Hydra had broken down SHIELD and Phil had taken one of the old, old bases. 

They weren’t at the Tower, they were at the Playground. But he wasn’t himself either. He was smaller.  _ Weaker.  _ He was a kid, and Phil was an old man. 

With a gasp, Clint jerked awake, breathing hard and hoping,  _ praying _ , that it had all just been a dream. But he knew it had been real. Phil was old, or older, with more white hair then Clint thought possible for a SHEILD agent, much less a director. 

He placed his head in his hands, taking deep, painful breaths as he tried to remain calm. What had happened last? He had been running to the Playground bar entrance with Natasha, and Phil had opened the door. Then Nat… 

Dear god, Nat had been kidnapped. 

“Clint Davis?” a woman’s voice said. 

He almost flinched at that. What would his fathers think when they found out? Clint had always known that he had been adopted, that they weren’t biologically his parents, but it had never mattered. Family isn’t just blood. 

“Yeah?” he said as he looked over at the woman. It was Skye, standing at the door of the medical bay. She looked pretty good for her age, and Clint almost wanted to ask her how Phil was doing. But he stopped himself, let her do the talking. 

“I’m Agent Daisy Johnson,” she said with a smile. “You know my nephew, Tony.” 

“I know who you are,” Clint said as he hopped off of his gurney, looking for his main vent. “I remember everything, Skye.” 

“Good. Director Coulson said he wanted to speak with you if you did.” 

Clint didn’t ask why. He knew. And he knew his way there. So, he walked from the medical bay, Skye right behind him as he walked. As they passed a lounge, he caught sight of his fathers, who were huddled in a group of about seven men and women. One of the women was rather red faced, even as she was sitting in what looked to be an ice bath. 

When he saw his fathers, his first instinct had been to duck his head in shame. But before he could, they looked up, eyes wide, and he couldn’t help it. He ran forward, right into both of their arms, hugging him tightly. 

“Clinton,” his pops said as he was squeezed between them. “Oh my boy! We heard that the camp was attacked! We were worried sick…” 

“You’re never going to summer camp again,” his dad said as he smoothed his hair. “When we get home, we’re going to spend the rest of the summer together. You won't be going anywhere for a while.” 

Unable to speak, Clint sniffled, eyes squeezing tight. He always had gotten to emotionally attached too quickly. At least, that’s what Nat always said. In this case, however, he had earned the right to be attached. These two men had raised him. 

Thankfully, or maybe tragically, he didn’t get the chance to say anything. Over his fathers’ shoulders, he saw none other than Phil Coulson coming down the steps on the opposite side of the room. 

“It’s good to see you,” Phil said, his face old and wrinkling. “It’s been a long time.” 

Nearly everyone seemed to recognize him, a blond woman Clint recognized as Thor and Loki’s ‘mother’ actually jumped to her feet and started to scream at him. Phil was, of course, unfazed, and gave her his best smile. 

“Mrs. Young,” he said. “Please, sit down. There’s a lot that needs to be discussed.” 

“Not until you tell me where my boys are!” she cried. “I want to see my boys!” 

“For once we agree,” Mr. Young said as he stood. “I want to see my sons.” 

“Alright,” Clint said as he took a deep breath, stepping away from his fathers. “You want to see Thor and Loki?” Turning to look at the other adults he put on his best agent face. Hard to do without his sunglasses. “You want to see your kids? You will. But there’s things you all need to know. About your kids.” 

“Clint,” Phil said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to do this.” 

“I do, Phil. If I don’t then who will? You? They might not believe you.” 

And so, Clint set into telling the adults all he knew about what had happened. He told his fathers who he really was. He was Agent Clint Barton, also know as Hawkeye of the Avengers. While Greg and John Davis had been deceived, Clint made sure that they knew that they had been amazing parents. 

He told Marcus Miller about Natasha, how she was Natasha Romanov, Black Widow. Mr. Miller had kept a stern face, trying to look unfazed as he said he had suspected, and that he hadn’t cared. Clint knew better. He’d seen Nat do the exact same thing too many times. Marcus had suspected, yes, but he had hoped he had been wrong. 

Galinda Young burst into tears when Clint told her about Thor and Loki. She had always known they were special. They had been her special, special boys. Magnus Young wasn’t as pleased with the reveal that Loki was the Battle of New York Loki, and the two were instantly thrown into an argument. A few agents had to drag them apart after Galinda had tackled her soon to be ex-husband. 

Tina and Jolyn almost didn’t let him tell them who Bruce really was. Jolyn, the mutant, started to make the ice bath melt and boil as the room became a sauna as she told Clint that it didn’t matter who Bruce was. Bruce was her boy, the one who had asked her if the reason he meditated was because he had a monster to, who had took so much care in holding the rabbits Tina owned as lightly as possible so that the monster wouldn’t hurt them. 

The Adams were led out of the room, and Clint took notice that he had already spoken with all the adults. True, he didn’t speak with Skye about Tony, but he didn’t need to. She already knew. That meant May Parker was nowhere to be seen. 

As the rest of the adults were lead away to their rooms, where they would stay for their own safety, Clint turned to Director Coulson. 

“May Parker,” he said instantly. “She’s not here.” 

Phil winced. “By the time extraction reached her hotel, hours had already passed. Hydra got there before us. We don’t have a clue where she might be.” 

Clint cursed, chewing his lip. Steve was going to flip! He’d remember how to fight just so he could kick some Hydra ass. Before anyone could say anything else, Clint climbed his way onto the fridge and into a vent to head to the range.  

He had a fight to prepare for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was great... The boys are with Wade Wilson, Natasha may or may not be physically herself, and Clint is getting ready for a fight. But... Where's May Parker? 
> 
> If anyone has any suggestions or comments, put them in the comment section bellow!


	15. Clint’s Love, Tony’s Captain, and Natasha’s Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone seems to be having serious talks with the one they love. Except Natasha. She just wants to get out of that hell hole.

Clint made it to the range rather quickly. The vents, after all, hadn’t seemed to change at all, even if the rooms he saw along the way had. Just like the vents, the rage had also barely changed. Same old stuffy room made up of moving targets on three walls and a storage room on the other. 

With his bow in hand, Clint started up a routine, firing shot after shot as he was filled with dreadful thoughts. He had gotten Nat kidnapped by  _ Hydra _ . His best, goddamn friend. What kind of SHIELD agent was he that he couldn’t protect one person? 

_ Thunk, thunk, thunk.  _

Not only that, but now he’d have to tell Steve and Peter that May Parker was MIA, probably in Hydra custody. How was he supposed to do that? ‘Hey Steve, I know you must be freaked out by everything, but now your adoptive mother has been kidnapped by a Nazi criminal organization. Did I mention they want to dissect you?’ Right, because that would go just great! 

_ Thunk, thunk, thunk.  _

But that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst part was  _ Phil _ . The worst part was that he could see the wrinkles of old age starting to appear on Phil’s face. He could see the once nice hair turning gray. He could see how old Phil was getting. And he was still only sixteen. 

_ Thunk, thunk, shink.  _

Clint paused in his firing, turning to look at where an arrow had rebound on it’s way to a target, only sink into the skin of Phil’s hand as he came in. With a curse, Clint scrambled to get over to him, wide eyed as he saw no blood. Why wasn’t Phil bleeding? Why hadn’t the arrow gone all the way through? 

“Drat,” Phil said good naturedly, pulling the arrow out then pulling off the entire hand. “Now I have to get Fitz to fix it again.” 

Phil smiled, but Clint shifted uncomfortably. So, Phil had a metal hand now. That was a thing that happened. That Clint… never knew about. God, what else had changed in the last sixteen years? What else did he not know? 

Phil seemed to pick up on his distress, since he didn’t do a very good job in hiding it. Not that it mattered, since Phil always seemed to know when he was hiding something. Like when he took Natasha in, or what happened in Budapest. Phil just knew him too well. 

“Clint?” Phil asked as he reached forward to cup his cheek. He could practically feel the age difference… “Clint, what’s wrong? I know that what you had to do, with your… fathers, must have been difficult, but it will be alright. Once everything has calmed down, you can-” 

“I know,” Clint said as he pulled away, not looking at Phil as he picked up his bow. “It’s… not that.” 

“Then what is it?” Phil asked, moving to place his hands on his shoulders. Clint wanted so much to be able to turn into the touch. He wanted to stay with Phil, hold each other like they used to. But he couldn’t. Not like this, not while he… 

“We can’t do this,” Clint said, shaking his head. “We can’t… We can’t go back to what we were, Phil. I’m… I’m sixteen now, and you’re sixty-five. It’s illegal, and I don’t…” 

“Don’t what? Clint, right now we may not be able to be together, but Thor and Dr. Banner have returned to how they were before the spell went wrong. All we have to do is find the cure to this, and you’ll be back to how you were.” 

Clint shook his head. “They’re special cases. Thor is Asgardian, has magic in his blood, and Bruce has the Hulk. I’m completely  _ human,  _ Phil. Steve has a better chance of turning back then I do, thanks to the suram. If Loki can’t change back without all of the magic back, and I can’t change back without Loki’s magic, there’s  _ no way _ I’ll ever get back to normal.

“And not only that, if I did change back you’ll still be in your sixties. I’ll only be in my twenties. Phil, you’re getting… You’re old, Phil. In our line of work, the fact that you lived this long is just… You’re getting old, Phil. You  _ are  _ old. Right now you’re old enough to be by grandfather, and if I turn back, you’ll be old enough to be my dad. You aren’t… You aren’t going to live forever, and soon… Soon, you’ll die. It doesn’t matter if it’s because of age, or a mission, but you’ll die. And I can’t live through that.” 

For a minute, Phil didn’t say anything. Clint couldn’t blame him, so he took a breath for a moment. He had a mission, one that he would take on himself, one that wasn’t assigned to him. Since he’d always been a bit of a recruiter, he’d go around the base, get some help from the SHIELD agents, then head off to the Tower to get the others to help. 

He knew that he was the only one who could find Nat and the Hydra base. After all, he was the only one who had access to an item that could track her anywhere. If it still worked. 

As he turned to leave, Phil still standing in the center of the training room, he heard the older man whisper something that Clint knew was true for both of them. 

“I don’t care what happens. I’ll love you until the day I die, no matter how close that day is.” 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Clint hurried out of the room, making sure he had his bow and quiver before he left. 

XxXXxX

Tony could tell by the look on Steve’s face, he wasn’t the only one confused. Author? What the hell was this guy talking about? And was that… who Tony thought it was? 

He didn’t have much time to think about it as Steve spoke. 

“Peter,” he was saying. “This man is a criminal.” 

Apparently Steve knew exactly who this man was. 

“Ah, come on Cappy!” Wade said, pouting through the mask. “I help people to! I mean, sure, it’s usually so Petey likes me, or because the author’s and others like Wolfy make me, not that they have much control of me anyway, but I still help! I’m trustworthy, really. Wolfy has all four of her favorites right in this room. She wants this moment to last.” 

Steve did not look reassured, and Tony stood off to the side as Steve pulled Peter away to have a ‘chat’. It was really a rather intense argument. They hissed at each other in low voices, Tony not wanting to take a side but wanting to help Steve nonetheless. For once, he’d keep his mouth shut. 

“You guys really will be safe here,” Wade said, sounding more sincere then Tony would have thought him capable. “I care about Pete to much to let him or anyone he cares about get hurt. And don’t worry about me blabbing about you, Stark. I won’t tell.” 

Tony went wide eyed, gaping at the man. “How did you…” 

Wade laughed, tapping his nose. “Lets just say that the Shadows like to keep me informed on the plot. Mostly informed, at least.” 

He blinked some more, trying to figure out what to say. Author? Wolfy? Shadows? Plot? Were they talking about a book report or something? Some weird book where an Author is omnipotent and wolves and shadows are messengers to hasten the plot? Not that he could ask, since the room fell silent at the sound of a knock on the door. 

Wade hummed, skipping to the door with a gun in his hand, pointing the barrel against the wood as he opened it. There was a mock gasp, and Tony wearily leaned to see who it was. The fact that Wade, Deadpool, didn’t shoot on site was troubling, since the man was clearly Hydra. 

“Bob!” Wade said with a grin. “How you been buddy?” 

“Fine,” ‘Bob’ said, wringing his hands. “I, uh. I’m supposed to ask for the kids?” 

The grin was gone in seconds, the hammer of the gun in his hand giving a clear click as it was pulled back. “You can’t have them.” 

Bob nodded quickly. “Right, right. I, uh.. I’m also supposed to tell you that… You’ll loose some kind of baby boy for not-” 

In a second, the gun was out from behind the door, Steve looking startled and Peter looking more confused then anything. Wade shoved the gun in the space between the man’s eyes, practically growling as he spoke. 

“Leave,” he snapped. “Brain goop is so hard to get out of the carpet and I have guests, Bob. You don’t want me cleaning brain goop out of the carpet while I have guests, do you Bob?” 

Bob let out a scream and fled down the hall, Wade slamming the door. Peter went over, lightly touching Wade’s arm only to get pulled into the mercenary's arms. They spoke quietly, having a private moment that Tony knew he nor Steve should intrude on. So, Tony took Steve’s arm and led him to the window to talk. 

“I don’t-” Steve began, only for Tony to cut him off. 

“I know. You don’t trust him. But Steve… Look at them.” 

They both turned looking at the two as Wade let Peter pull off the mask for the first time since they had arrived. Wade was… wrinkled, pale and down right hideous, like testicals with teeth, but Peter looked at the merc like he was made of sunshine and rainbows, diamonds and pearls. Peter didn’t care about what Wade looked like, what Wade did. There was something about Wade that made Peter stay, something deeper then they could perceive. 

And from the way that Wade looked at Peter, they could tell that the man loved Peter in ways many could only hope they would one day have. 

“They really do love each other,” Tony said, smiling sadly. “They love each other so much more then I would have ever thought.” 

Steve didn’t say anything, only turned to look at him. When Tony turned to face him, he found Steve staring at him with such an intense and loving look, he wasn’t sure what to say or do. He couldn’t let Steve keep doing this! He loved him, back and-

Wait… Tony really did love him. Crap, he loved Steve and he was lying to him and… 

“Steve,” he said, reaching out, only to go wide eyed as he pulled the man down. “Get down!” 

Bullets burst through the nearby window, shattering it to dust. Only, it wasn’t bullets, it was tranquilizers. The darts were going straight for Peter, only for Wade to shove him aside to take them himself. The merc was out with a thud, and they began rushing around. The dog barked obnoxiously, distracting Tony momentarily as he powered up the glove. 

The wall exploded soon after, Steve shouting at Wade over the ringing in their ears. 

“I thought you said we were safe here?!” 

“Not my fault!” Wade cried, then turned to look towards a wall with ‘fourth’ painted onto it. “Wolfy, why must you make me a liar?”

None of them had a chance to question him on that, as Hydra agents started to swarm in. Steve was throwing the shield in an instant as Peter got in a few good punches. Tony was left with three to fend off on his own, but with a few well placed repulsor blasts, he had them all down. Wade seemed to be the most interested in fighting, as he used a shiny red baseball bat to knock people out, chanting ‘hey, batta-batta!’

When the fight was over, Peter let out a whistle, looking out of the hole. It was rather large, but there didn’t seem to be any people near where some of the debris had landed. Tony was just glad none of them had died! But, of course, he spoke to soon. 

Out of nowhere, a helicopter flew in, Tony only able to catch a glimpse of a net gun pointed straight at Steve. Peter was first to react, shoving Steve out of the way. He fell, tangled in the net as it dragged him across the floor and out the hole. It happened so fast, Tony could have blinked and missed it. 

“No!” Wade screamed, scrambling to the hole. 

Steve gaped at it, the helicopter disappearing into the night. He looked terrified, and it was time Tony told him. 

“Steve,” he said, helping him up. “We have to go after them.” 

“And do what?” Steve asked, a bit harshly. “We’re just… We’re just kids, Tony! We can’t attack or track Nazi terrorists and help Peter escape! We’ve never done anything like this before…” 

“Steve, I know I said that I didn’t believe them, but what they said, what SHIELD said, about us being the Avengers? About us being Captain America and Iron Man? They weren’t lying, Steve. But Peter needs you right now. Needs us. You  _ have  _ to remember.” 

“I’m  _ not  _ Captain America,” came the insistent reply, making Tony want to pull out his hair. “I’m not a hero and I was never!” 

“Damn it, Steve! Why can’t you just believe me?! You’re Steve Rogers, Captain America! Not some highschool kid in Queens!” 

“I’m not Captain America!” Steve cried, tears welling up in his eyes. “I can’t be! I can’t be some guy we learned about in school, who fought in a war nearly a hundred years ago! Because if I am that means that… That I lost everything  _ twice.  _ I already lost my family before the war, Bucky during the war, only to get him back then lose him again?! I can’t be Captain America! I can’t… I can’t have lost everything twice…” 

His words were like a punch to the face to Tony. He had hoped that Skye had been wrong, that Steve just hadn’t thought about it hard enough. But now wasn’t that time for that. Peter had been captured, and they needed save him before he got hurt, or worse. 

“You didn’t lose everyone,” Tony said, using probably all the tact he would ever have in any life. “Things are different now, sure, and you might have lost some time again, but you have Peter, and May, and I’m sure they’ll always be family. But you have to remember that you weren’t changed alone. Clint, Natasha, Thor, Bruce? They were all changed, too. And so was I.

“So what do you say?” He held out a hand to help Steve up. “Ready to be Cap again?”

Slowly, Steve reached out, clasping Tony’s hand to accept the help up. Once on his feet, he wrapped his arms tightly around Tony, who did the same. If Steve really did remember, then this might be the last time he would ever get to hold him this way. 

A throat cleared off to the side, and they pulled apart quickly, turning to find Wade glaring at them. 

“As heartwarming as this is,” he said, patting they bloodied bat against his palm. “I want to rescue Peter sooner rather than later.”

Tony shared a look with Steve, and after a quick nod, they moved towards the door.

XxXXxX

When Natasha came to, her first instincts were to listen for any movement besides her own. Her eyes remained closed, keeping her breath slow and steady. Was there anyone else in the room? No, she was alone. 

Once she was sure, she sat up, wincing as pain shot through her rib cage. So, damage check. Ghosting a hand over her sides, she counted a few cracked ribs, and found that her other hand was likely broken. A lick at her dry lips brought stinging pain and the taste of copper, so her lip was also split. 

Great. 

Collecting herself, she began to observe the room, taking everything into account as she tried to figure out what to do. She had to get out, after all. It was rather easy to find the vent at the lop of the wall. It was even easier to get to, once she found the empty bucket they probably gave her to use as a toilet. 

Hydra was full of idiots. 

She did her best with her good hand to get the screws out, hoping to at least get something sharp enough to defend herself with. Thankfully, whoever had been in this cell before her had already loosened them up. They fell into her hand with easy. 

Before she could pull the vent cover itself down, Natasha heard the echo of boots on cement, Hydra fools chatting too loudly amongst themselves as they made their way to her cell door. She moved the bucket back quickly, moving to lay back where she had been. They seemed to not notice anything was wrong, which was good for her. 

Not so much for them. 

As quick as a vapor, or a Black Widow, Natasha stabbed one of the screws into one of the agents throat, dragging it along his artery. The man crumbled, blood spilling from his neck. He’d splattered her pretty good, but she ignored the thick crimson liquid that now covered her hand and arm. The second one went down with similar ease, though he may have shit himself while she had been approaching him. 

Natasha locked the two now dead guards in her old cell, edging down the hall with her two remaining screws. The guards hadn’t had any weapons on them, which only proved how idiotic they were. 

“Excuse me?” a woman's voice said, soft and gentle. “You’re the Black Widow, aren’t you?” 

She turned finding a familiar woman standing behind a closed cell door. It was May Parker, Peter’s aunt and the woman that had adopted Steve. What she was doing in a Hydra cell was probably a bit to obvious. The fact that she recognized Natasha, even in her returned body, was a bit concerning. The original Avengers had been gone for over fifteen years, after all. 

“Let me help you,” Natasha said quickly, moving to get the door open. 

May Parker smiled, walking out with a cane in her hand. She was rather frail, and her hair was graying, but she walked with a proudness that could only be from raising two boys that turned into such strong men. And without a word, May offered the cane to her, and Natasha took it with a shrug. Anything could be a weapon if she used it right. 

They went off down the hall together, surprisingly avoiding every Hydra agent that came their way. Natasha was rather reluctant to engage in combat with a civilian in her care. Well, reluctant when she only had a cane for a weapon, not that she couldn’t kill them with it. 

Following signs towards the vehicle bay, Natasha suddenly stopped, hearing something ahead of them. There was the sound of men grunting, and the sound of a thud on the floor. 

“Ow!” a somewhat familiar voice cried. “Wow guys, you really know how to treat a guest!” 

Beside her, May gasped, a name slipping out in a breath. “Peter…” 

Now she had to save Peter, Natasha realized, holding back a sigh. This was going to be a long day. Or… longer day. It’d been a long few days recently, actually. Not that it could get any worse. Then the ground shook, and an alarm blared. 

“Breach on floor three!” a Hydra agent cried frantically over an intercom. “Captain America has breached floor three with Iron Man and- Oh god is that Deadpool?!” 

Natasha sighed, running a hand over her face. Of course it could get worse…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well shit! Think Steve remembers now? Also, poor Steve... Aunt May will be surprised though.   
> Wonder if Deadpool will kill anyone (or me)...


	16. Shit Hits the Fan (Steve, Natasha, Clint)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super sorry for not posting on time, but this chapter was written and rewritten so many times. It's setting everything up for the shit ending and I know you readers are going to hate me for what happens next. Sadly, this is probably the shortest chapter so far, and it's the most important.

Though Steve didn’t approve of Deadpool, of Wade, in the slightest, he had a respect for how quickly the mercenary got things done.

He and Tony hadn’t the slightest idea as to where to start looking for Peter, but Wade did. Wilson had walked straight through the door, down to the lobby, and tackled the Hydra man that had been at the door earlier. They had wrestled in the street for a moment, Wilson going in to take him down but the Hydra agent was more of a startled and frightened animal then anything else.

They stood in the back for a bit, watching Wilson beat the Hydra man until he was screaming out answers. He cried as he told Wilson exactly where the base they would have taken Peter was, how to get inside, how to get to the cells. Steve didn’t like Wilson’s methods, or Wilson himself, but he respected how quickly Wilson got things done for Peter.

As much as he hated to admit it, but Wilson just might need Peter. Compared to earlier, when Peter was there and Wilson was cracking jokes, Wilson was just insane. He was crazy, like a man who had lost the one thing he loved. And now that Steve was thinking about it, Wilson might just have…

They got into a car that Wilson hotwired, and while Steve hated that they had to steal the car, Wilson had gear that he was bringing. It was quite a bit. Damn near an armory, but if they were taking an entire Hydra base, they would need it. If Steve took one of the guns out of the back seat when no one was looking, know one had to know.

Though, when he looked at the gun as he walked in the back of the group as they were walking up to the base, he recognized it. A Colt M1911A1 pistol… It felt strangely familiar in his hand. He didn’t think to much on it, and hid the pistol at the small of his back, under the waistband of his pants.

As they made entered the base, however, literally walking through the front door, Tony seemed more interested in something else.

“So when all this is over,” Tony said as he walks with his gauntlets, “you’ll probably want to break things off. I mean, I’m a terrible influence. I’ll probably want to build stuff with Peter, and you know how much I blow stuff up in my lab. I’m a safety hazard, and an alcoholic.”

“Tony,” Steve grit out. “You know that’s not true. Now stay focused. We need to find Peter.”

“Yeah but-”

“You guys might want to cover your heads,” Wilson suddenly said.

“What?” Steve asked, turning to look at the merc, who was standing by a heavy metal door.

The man pointed to where blocks of white with clocks were stuck all over the door, numbers counting down what seems to be seconds. “Boom.”

Steve’s eyes grew wide, and he turns to tackle Tony to the floor, using his own body as a shield. The floor shook as the block exploded, sending chunks of hot metal everywhere. He could feel a few bounce off the shield on his back, just glad that none hit Tony.

“Breach on floor three!” a Hydra agent cried frantically over an intercom. “Captain America has breached floor three with Iron Man and- Oh god is that Deadpool?!”

Wilson giggled wildly at that, pulling out the pair of swords on his back as Hydra agents started to rush in. If Steve thought the man was crazy before, he was down right insane now.

“You guys have someone that doesn’t belong to you,” Wilson giggled, spinning the swords. “Now, tell me where my Petey is, and everyone dies quick~”

Steve couldn’t really tell what happened next. One second he was helping Tony up off the floor, the next he was running down a hall, the sounds of gunfire and Wilson’s laughter behind him. Tony was still with him, so that was at least something that had’t gone wrong.

And, just as they reached the end of the hall, a horde of Hydra agents surrounded them. Acting on instinct, like he had in Wilson’s apartment, Steve threw the shield that was still on his back. It richeched from chest to chest, effectively knocking the Hydra goons over with ease before it landed perfectly in Steve’s outstretched hand.

“He is but a boy!” A heavy German voice calls over the intercom. “Capture him, you fools!”

The Hydra goons didn’t move, and continued to groan on the floor.

Shooting a look to Tony, who shrugged in return, they hurried down a flight of stairs, hoping it would lead to the cells. And it did. But Peter wasn’t in a cell when they arrived. He was standing with a red headed woman that looked to much like Natasha to anyone but, and a woman that Steve could only recognize as…

“Mom?”

XxXXxX

Natasha couldn’t believe how incompetent the Hydra agents were. Like, really! As soon as they heard Deadpool they started running around like chicken with their heads cut off.

“What’s going on?” May asked as she looked at her. “Captain America and Iron Man are back?”

She chewed her lip for a moment, thinking. If Steve had remembered, if Tony hadn’t tried to stop him from doing so… Maybe they had come to help. Peter had been with them after all, and Steve was rather attached to Peter. The only problem is, why the hell was Deadpool with them?

“Stay here,” Natasha said as she turned, ready to take down the panicking grunts.

May seemed to have a different idea, and pulled the cane out of Natasha’s hands with surprising ease. In a second, the graying woman had walked out into the vehicle bay and knocked the cane rather hard against every Hydra agents head. With a shrug, Natasha followed, moving to kneel next to the net that held Peter.

“Whoa,” he said, wide eyed. “Aunt May, what are you… Why are you... What happened?”

Then his eyes found Natasha.

“Holy Hell, Nat! What happened to you?!”

She scowled, tugging the last bit of net away for Peter to climb out. Peter would have heard about what had happened. Hell, they had all seen Bruce turning green in the Hulk Chamber. There was no denying that what the current Avengers had told them was true, no matter how much they wanted it not to be. She supposed that she would have to thank Marcus, though. He had kept her quite... entertained.

“I’m the Black Widow,” she said simply. “What they told us about being the old Avengers team was true. Not you, but the rest of us. It seems that we return to our original ages when our bodies or minds are under extreme distress. With Steve and Tony here…”

“Steve?” May said, wide eyes. “My Steven? What is he doing here?”

“Um….” Peter started, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, these guys kinda think, or know I guess, that Steve is actually Captain America? So when we kinda ran away from the Avengers, we went to hide out at the house of, um, a… friend of mine? And then Hydra attacked and they accidentally grabbed me instead of Steve.”

May sighed. Leaning on her cane as she thought for a moment. Maybe she could get the group moving? They needed to get out before Deadpool brought the whole building down. Natasha could guess that the friend Peter had mentioned was actually Deadpool.

However, just as she turned to look for an exit, two boys stumbled into the room. Steve and Tony. If they were here, where was Deadpool?

“Mom?” Steve gasped, wide eyed.

“Steven,” May said with a smile. “And Tony, isn’t it? Such a handsome young man.”

Natasha almost snorted. _Almost._

“Right,” Natasha said to gather everyone's attention. “We need to leave, as soon as possible. Red Skull is here and he won't hesitate to kill any of us.”

Steve opened his mouth to speak, only to get shoved to the side as the notorious Deadpool shoved past him. While she hadn’t been keeping up on mercenaries, Marcus was a bit of one himself. He had, of course, tried to keep that fact a secret, but she was a bit to perceptive for him to hide much from her. Plus, the fact that his ‘hunting buddies’ were more often then not a bunch of mercenaries who liked to talk shit about their past jobs.

However, as soon as Deadpool saw Peter, he stripped off his mask and pulled the boy into his arms. There were babbled words, things that sounded oddly like ‘they can’t hurt you now’ and ‘I’ve got you, Baby Boy’. Peter, while scooped up in a bridal carry in Deadpool’s arms and the mercs teary eyed face nuzzled into his neck, had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Wade,” he almost stuttered. “Aunt May is right there….”

Deadpool, or Wade, ignored his complaint entirely. At least now she knew why the Merc with the Mouth was so interested in coming to help.

“We should probably get going,” Wade said, still carrying Peter. “I read through what my canine magical stalker had written for the last chapter, and from what I can tell, she’s gearing up to have someone kick the bucket soon. Either this chapter or the next, so I want to get Petey out of here as soon as possible.”

Natasha frowned. “While you make no sense at all, you’re right about one thing. We need to get out of here soon. Clint made it to the SHIELD, so they’ll likely be making a strike on the base soon.”

“Which,” Steve muttered aloud to himself, “if Wilson is right about someone dying here, then SHIELD being in the area will only add more people to the list of possible fatalities.”

Natasha took a deep breath, doing her best to not rub her temples. She was starting to get a headache. “Let’s get going then, before they show up.”

The others gave quick nods, Peter getting out of Wade’s arms to help his Aunt walk with Steve. They’d have to hurry.

As they made their way up the stairs, the building shook again, bits of floor cracking, and ceiling falling. Natasha barely had enough time to push Tony out of the way before the floor broke open. She saw Tony’s look of shock, of Steve’s horrified face as they were split up, and as she fell though the hole that opened under her feet.

XxXXxX

Clint was, in no way, pleased with his team assignment. He was paired with Phil, and every time he looked at him his heart ached. He didn’t want to feel that ache through the entire infiltration.

Thankfully, other Avengers were going with.

While he didn’t really know Rhodey well, or Bucky and Scott at all, he knew Sam pretty well. He had worked with Sam on the Falcon project, helping with training his eyes to be sharper, not rely entirely on tech. They got the nickname the Bird Bro’s. It was pretty easy to convince him to let him on his team instead. Phil didn’t fight it.

Clint would have teamed up with Bruce, of course, since shooting arrows while riding on the Hulk’s shoulders was probably the best thing in the world. But Bruce, Thor, and Jane were all staying behind for now, as they were all to destructive to be much help in an underground bunker.

So, Clint went with Sam through the base, shooting down Hydra agents, and looking for a security room. They got separated rather quickly, as a tremor shoot the ground, a chunk of ceiling collapsing and blocking them off from one another.

“Hey Quake,” Clint said into his mic as the lights above him flickered, the ground shaking a bit more, only much more softly. “What’s with the shaking?”

“Tha- asn’t m-” came the static filled, broken response.

“Hey Clint!” Sam called from the other side of the blockage. “You got any explosive arrows on you?”

“Can’t use them here. Walls could collapse in on us. You go on ahead and find another way around. I’ll keep going to the security room and see if I can find out what’s going on.”

“Right. Splitting off from Hawkeye, if anyone can hear me over comms. He’s going onto the security room alone.”

“Wha-?!” Clint grit his teeth at the sound of Phil’s voice in his ear. “Wi-on, you- not s-erate fr- Haw-eye!”

“My choice Phil,” he muttered into comms, continuing on down the hall alone.

The further he went, the more static filled his comms. Phil’s frantic voice faded into nothing but sharp noise, and he was left on his own. The hall was empty, eerily so, with the only other movement being the flicker of the overhead lights until he came to the security room. He notched an arrow, pulling the string back before he kicked open the door.

Turns out, the security room was empty. Clint relaxed to bow, putting away the arrow as he surveyed the room. There was a door on another wall, but besides that it was simply monitors filled with the grainy images of different camera’s. Quite a few of them were just plain static images of nothing, but some had pictures her could make out.

On a monitor of a cracked and fuzzy camera was the image of Natasha, once more an adult, sitting in a near pit of darkness. She was alone, only an old woman’s cane in her hand.

In another monitor, Tony was leaning over a hole, the lights flickering above him as he looked down into it the pit. It must have been where Nat fell from, since he seemed to be calling out to someone. From what Clint could tell from the monitor number and the base map on the desk in front of the monitors, Tony was near the bases main generator.

Steve was trying desperately to pull rubble out of the way on his monitor, his hands bloody from tugging at sharp rocks. His leg was twisted in a painful looking way, and he seemed to be hyperventilating, standing up to limp back and forth in front of the rubble wall. The blond just might be having a panic attack, though it looked like Barnes might be in the same hall as Steve, though a good distance away.

Peter and a man with a scarred face were leaning over something, trying to move it. When they moved, Clint could see an elderly woman that must have been May Parker laying on the ground. A red strip of blood was trailing down her face and her legs were buried under the pile of rubble. It looked like that pile might be the same one on Steve’s monitor.

He couldn’t find any images of anyone else, none of the agents, but a flickering set of camera’s for a hall connecting with the camera room showed Phil advancing quickly to it. Clint felt his heart skip, but ignored it, turning to look at the computer on the desk.

There were a series of warnings on the screen, flicking slightly with a jagged crack running diagonally across it. At the top, time stamped for about an hour, maybe two, was a warning showing that Captain America, Iron Man, and Deadpool had all made it onto base and infiltrated level three. The next one after that, for what seemed to be barely a few seconds later, was a warning that some kind of explosive had caused part of the ceiling in the power room the damage the power grid. Just before SHIELD had arrived an evacuation notice had gone to all hand radios to tell the Hydra agents to get out, that the generator was now unstable and about to explode.

The same generator that Tony was now walking towards.

Snatching up the intercom mic, Clint spoke quickly.

“Tony, stop! Turn around, try and get to Nat! The generator is that way, and it’s not stable! It’s going to blow!”

On the monitors, only Steve seemed to look up, growing more wide eyed and frantic, if that was even possible. Tony, the idiot that he was, couldn’t hear him. The speakers in that area might have gone out in the temor. Clint kept trying, calling into the mic for some to get that stupid idiot away from the generator!

The door clicked open, Clint dropping the mic to turn to face it. Phil was the closest to the security room, so it had to be him. But, as he opened his mouth, starting to tell Phil that the generator was about to explode, he saw that it was, in fact, not Phil.

Red Skull smirked at him a gun raised to point at his head.

“Well,” the german said with a terrible smirk. “We’ll just have to hurry on out of here, now won't we, my little ticket to freedom?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any idea's on who dies? Hits are in the monitors, but it isn't glaringly obvious. Or is it?!  
> I'm sorry that I'm not sorry who who I end up killing. Plus, bonus points that I let DP read the previous chapters, because... PLOT! Also, the entire ending of this story will be posted on the 22nd of April, since I have a funeral on the 15th of April.


	17. The Explosion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The generator explodes, and Loki helps with pulling everyone out.

Steve was having a panic attack. 

His mother was trapped under a pile of rubble, his hands were bleeding, and he was pretty sure his leg was broken. Natasha might be dead, Tony was missing, and he didn’t have a clue what to do. He couldn’t move the rocks, or walk to far. He was stuck. 

Then, things got worse. 

“Tony, stop!” Clint’s voice cried over a static filled intercom. “Turn around, try and get to Nat! The generator is that way, and it’s not stable! It’s going to blow!”

He sucked in a breath, his chest becoming tight, until he couldn’t breath anymore. Turning and stumbling back, Steve slid down the wall to the floor. His hands came to his chest, clutching at his shirt as he struggled to breath. He needed to breath, breath and find a way to Tony! 

But he couldn’t. There was a thudding in his ears, and he heard a roaring sound around him, saw an image of ice and a cold feeling rushing at him. He was going to die for real now. He was going to die, and he was going to lose everyone. He was going to lose his mother, Peter… He was going to lose Tony. 

“Steve,” a gruff voice said over the roaring. “Come on Steve, get yourself together.” 

And, in a blink, the white was gone, and so was the cold. And now… it was hot. It was so hot, he was sweating. Steve turned to look at the one who had spoken, and, in a panic of recognition, he lashed out. He swung a fist, feeling his arm caught in cold metal fingers as he pulled out the gun that was still at the small of his back. 

“Steve! Stop! Stop, before you hurt yourself more!” 

And, slowly, Steve let out a cry. It was a pathetic sound, a gasping whine as tears started to spill out of his eyes. He felt an arm around his shoulders, helping pull him up. Unable to do much else, Steve leaned against the Winter Soldier, against Bucky, as he hauled him to his feet, the gun slipping from his hands. He half followed, while being half dragged away from the rock pile, away from his mother May and his cousin. Away from Tony and everyone that he loved in this life. 

“Tony,” Steve eventually gasped out, his leg aching and his heart clenching. “He’s… He’s going to the generator and…” 

“I heard,” Bucky said, frowning. “Look, Steve, I get that you probably don’t remember me yet, fine, but Stark- your ‘Tony’ isn’t the real him. He’s not who you think he is.” 

“You don’t understand,” he choked out. “I do remember. Bucky, Tony’s always know, he’s Tony— _ my  _ Tony! He knew who I was, even if he didn’t want to, and came to me anyway because he missed me! He remembered me even when I didn’t remember him and he wanted to live a normal life, but he came to me anyway. He tried so hard to seem cool, make a lasting impression when he showed up at the airport, but he didn’t need to, because I- I remembered him! Maybe only subconsciously, but I remembered him! Any impression he made would have been a good one because I-” The words caught in his throat. “I- I love him!” 

For a moment, Bucky simply stared at him. Steve didn’t know where his old best friend stood on gay rights. He didn’t know if Bucky held the commonly held opinion from the 1940’s. But he could guess. But he could guess from the way Bucky had reacted. 

“Then we’ll just have to save him so I can meet him then,” Bucky said with a nervous smirk. “So come on, Stevie. Let’s go save your boy toy.” 

Steve barely had enough time to smile back at him before the roar of fire filled the very air around them, and the wall exploded, sending the entire hallway down on top of them.

XxXXxX

With a gun pointed directly at his face, Clint couldn’t do anything to stop the Red Skull from grabbing and dragging him into one of the hallways. He felt the crushing force around his chest, bruising but not actually braking, and he knew that if he would have a rather large bruise later. 

If he made it out of this alive.

But, he had other things to worry about, as Phil bust in, gun raised. Clint felt the cold metal of the muzzle against his temple, saw the moment that Phil understood exactly what was happening. In the span of three seconds, Phil had gone from stern, to wide eyed, to furious. Phil fired, only once, and Clint felt to the air next to his ear shift, felt the deafness from a bullet going by set in. 

Red Skull cursed, and the cold gun muzzle was suddenly gone. Clint turned, about to throw a punch to get away, seeing a glimpse of a hole in Red Skull’s hand before he was thrown to the side, his foot catching on something as he went. Dazed and disoriented, he looked up as Phil fired more shots at Red Skull. He went wide eyed as Red Skull grabbed the SHIELD director by the neck, ripping the gun from his hands. 

“Ah, Director Coulson,” Red Skull hummed with a smirk, waving Phil’s own gun in his face. “It is good to finally get to put down a pest!” 

“Think you,” Phil gasped out with that fake smile, “killing me will- will stop SHIELD? You don’t- You don’t know anything about- about SHIELD!” 

“I know enough,” Red Skull snarled, pressing Phil’s gun to his chest. “Now, good bye Director!” 

The pop of Phil’s gun firing was booming in the hallway, a clap of thunder to Clint’s ears. He screamed, chest beginning to hurt as he saw the blood spilling from Phil’s abdoman. Without even thinking, his hand launched out, fingers wrapping around the hilt of the gun Red Skull had dropped, as the vile man fires one- two- three more shots into Phil’s stomach. 

With a surprisingly steady hand, Clint sucked in a breath, raising the gun, and fired a single bullet into the back of Red Skull’s head. 

Both the Nazi and Phil fell to the floor, Red Skull likely dead, before Clint crawled his way over to Phil. His chest was hurting more and more, and a dark shadow was falling over the edge of his eyes. He came to Phil’s side, unable to say anything as he tried to apply pressure to the spots on Phil’s chest. 

“Clint,” Phil choked out. “Clint… It’s okay…” 

He felt his throat tighten, the tears welling in his eyes as he shook his head. How could Phil call this okay? He had four bullet wounds in his chest. What had happened to his vest? No, Clint knew the answer to that.  _ He  _ was wearing Phil’s vest. Phil had been worried, had sent an agent to him with the stupid vest.  _ He  _ was wearing the stupid,  _ stupid  _ vest! 

Clint tried to speak, but couldn’t find the words. He watched as Phil started to fade. He tried to keep him awake, tried to stop him from losing consciousness. It didn’t work, and Clint felt the rage filling him. With another scream, he turned to release the rest of the bullets in Red Skull’s gun into the Hydra founders face. 

Then, as if sweet relief, there was an explosion, and the roof caved in on them. 

XxXXxX

It was dark in the hole that Natasha now found herself in. 

There were no lights, no entrance to speak of. There was barely even sound. She did, however, hear Tony telling her that he would be leaving, to find a way out. Natasha couldn’t blame him. She herself reached out, feeling for any form of wall to follow. 

Thankfully there was a wall, and Natasha followed it for a good ways down the hall. The only sound was that of her own footsteps. Or, so she thought. She had the strangest feeling that she could hear what sounded like the pitter patter of… paws. 

A light bloomed to life just ahead of her, and Natasha was momentarily blinded as it faded in and out, as if something was passing over it. She moved quickly, silently, towards the light, until she was able to scoop the flashlight into her hand. With a quick turn, she found the source of all the noise. 

All around her stood dogs. At least twenty of them. Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies. They were big, all of them, for their breeds. As one they paced and snarled around her her, ears flicking and noses raised to sniff the air. Natasha kept her arms carefully raised, trying to look simultaneously not weak and not threatening. 

Then, as one stalked towards her, she turned to it and aimed the light directly in it’s eyes. The large Rottweiler howled, backing away and shaking its head as she shouted. 

“Bad dog,” she told it, stern and dominant. “Sit! Stay!” 

And, thankfully, the dog listened. All of them did. They sat, tense, and waiting for her to move. Natasha wasn’t sure it that meant they were waiting to attack, or waiting for a command. Going out on a limb, she hoped it was the second. 

“Outside.” 

With that, the dogs collectively stood, crowding around her, and pushed her in a random direction. She kept the flashlight aimed ahead, squinting through the gloom as she tried to find anything that could indicate a way out. Bits and pieces of what looked to be cages were scattered around, but it looked like it had been that way for much longer then the first tremor. An abandoned research facility, perhaps? 

Then, the dogs turned, leading her into a small trailer like building. They didn’t move, sitting in a half circle around the door, giving her a direct path to the door. When she looked up, she saw broken chains dangling above the trailer. They must have raised and lowered into the cave as needed. 

Inside, she found building plans, a filing cabinet that had been tipped over, and a clip board on the floor. Starting first with the clipboard, Natasha looked at the rumpled papers, reading them over and scowling at the print. 

The dogs, all of them, were experiments. Hydra had been testing different forms of superserum on them. They hadn’t reacted well, and while there were nearly twenty dogs outside, there had been over five hundred test dogs. The serum had a one in twenty-five chance of survival. On dogs. Partially because nearly all of them became extremely violent with each other. 

Natasha put those in her pocket for later. 

Picking up other papers, looking around for anything else that might be important, she found a list of protocols. If the building was breached, they’d call the alarm and kill anyone who got inside. If that didn’t work, they’d flee, lock the intruders inside, and release the dogs on them. However, if the generator started to overload, and intruders were inside… 

Natasha’s stomach dropped, and she turned to look at a large white tube that sat in the corner. Hydra had been trying to rebuild Tony’s barb shrapnel bombs. And there were bombs imbedded in all the walls of the generator room, set to blow just seconds before then generator did. 

Turning quickly, she rushed out of the trailer, the dogs quickly standing. “Outside!” She said quickly. “Leave! Out!” 

There was a loud roar, and the dogs howled as they threw themselves on top of Natasha. For a second, she was terrified. Were they going to kill her? Then, just before she could even finish the thought, the room trembled, and caved in. Around them. 

XxXXxX

Tony walked away from the hole, away from Natasha and Steve and Peter, and made his way towards the end of the hallway. It was dark, with the lights all gone, and he could hear static as someone tried to speak over the intercom. While he was only a teen on the outside, even his adult mind found the cracked and cold hallway eerie and downright creepy. 

The further he went down the hall, however, the hallway grew hotter. He could see a soft glow, at the end of the hall, and he began to sweat. It was so hot, now, and he stopped for a second as he felt his chest grow tight. Everything was starting to hurt. 

But, as he went, wiping sweat from his brow and rubbing where the arc reactor had been, a dull ache growing there, he found the source of the glow and the heat. It was a generator, an old one, grown so hot that the metal glowed a burning red. At least that explained the heat. 

Thinking fast, he looked around the room, trying to find something, anything, to use to maybe fix the generator. Off to one side was a table, with a tool box on it. He moved, fast as he could, to it. When he touched the red metal, however, he had to pull his hand back, turning to look at the redness of burns on his fingers. It was to hot to touch the box…

“Tony!” a call came from behind. 

Turning, Tony saw a familiar silver of his old friend’s suit. God, Rhodey was so old now, he could tell, even though he couldn’t see his face. Tony grinned, hurrying over to Rhodey without caution. He reached out, ready to go. 

“Thank God! Rhodey, it’s about to blow, we need to-” 

He wrapped his hand around the arm of the War Machine suit, and they both jumped apart as he screamed. The metal, Tony realized. While the suit had a cooling system, it only cooled the inside, and the mechanics. The outside of the suit was still as blistering hot as the tool box had been. 

“Shit,” Rhodey cursed, keeping his distance. But that was the worst thing that could happen. “We gotta… I don’t know what to… Tony, I don’t think I can save you!” 

And, Tony understood then, what the feeling in his chest was. Natasha had said they change back, grow to their original age rapidly, when under extreme pressure. His body was overheating, since the surrounding air was probably over that of Death Valley. He was… God, he was starting to change back because he was dying of heat exposure! 

But, as he felt his muscles twist and grow, he noticed that the pain in his chest… it was the  _ arc reactor _ . It was  _ growing back _ . He started screaming, clutching his chest as the pain of flesh turning to metal, of bits of his blood turning to killer barbs. He collapsed, Rhodey leaning over him. He saw the walls explode, as pain did, over his eyes, and what felt like  _ more _ barbs digging into his skin. 

And then, as blissful unconsciousness fell over him, he saw the generator explode, heard Rhodey scream his name. And all he could think was ‘Steve will never know just how much I love him’. 

XxXXxX

When it happened, Loki had been sitting outside of the Hydra base with Thor, Banner, and Lady Jane. He didn’t want to be there, but it was for the best. After all, earlier, some of his magic had returned from the Black Widow. 

They had been waiting for hours, but then, as he hadn’t much of a connection with anyone but Thor, he didn’t really care. Well, he did care. He would never admit it, ever to himself, that he thought of his brother’s companions as friends, but he did. Stark had been very nice to him, on the plane, and even before the incident… 

So, perhaps he did care. 

Then, when the building rumbled and shoot, collapsing like a house of cards, Loki felt terrified to have perhaps lost his friend. He shot to his feet, as people screamed around him, running to the edge of the growing hole. 

“Quick!” Someone was shouting. “We have to hurry! There could still be survivors!” 

All around them, people were running, trying to get tool to dig people out. Both Thor and the Lady Jane rushed to help, sharing the power they gained from Mjolnir, to pull cunts of earth away from the pile. Banner even roared and turned green, screaming ‘Tin Man! Find Tin Man!’ 

And then, the rush of magic engulfed him. It rose from the pile of rubble in a thick cloud, swallowing him whole as it was absorbed into his body. With the last few times, when Thor, Banner, or the Widow had returned to normal and the magic was returned to him, it was almost gentle in its return. Now, in such a thick heavy mess, it hurt. It was painful. 

He screamed, collapsing to the ground as the magic entered his skin like millions of needles. It was pain, hitting every nerve as he was forced into his original form, growing fast. Then, when he was finished, he slowly eased up, his civilian Midgardian clothes gone and leaving the deep and dark green of his Asgardian garb. 

When he looked up, he saw everyone staring at him. Guns were pointing at him, but only that of the SHIELD agents. 

“What do you fools think you’re going?” he demanded weakly. “Your precious Avengers are trapped under that rubble!” 

And, thankfully, they listened. They helped Hulk and Thor and Jane move rock and rubble, and he to helped in the excavation. 

The first to come back up was Clinton, a man with a red cranium, and the SHIELD director. Clinton was back to normal, but he had a wound in his shoulder, and Loki was still too weak to make any attempt to heal him. Not that it mattered, since healing magic wasn’t his area expertise. The man with the red skull was dead, head practically exploded from shots to it. The director… well, if what Loki had done to him all those years ago hadn’t killed killed him, then whatever had happened just might have. 

The next to resurface was the Captain and the Soldier. Steven was the only one awake, but he was confused, asking where Stark was, as he looked around. He was back to normal as well, but he didn’t know where he was, asking in a confused state, who were they? Where was Tony? Who’s this man? The Soldier had been unconscious, a bleeding crack in the side of his head. 

The Widow managed to make it out on her own, coming to find them afterward from where a horde of empowered canines had dug her a path out. Like the Soldier, she had a wound to her head, moving with dazed motions and relying mostly on the dogs for support. 

Peter and two people Loki came next. One was an elderly woman. She was old, frail and weak. The entirety of her legs were crushed, and like many of the others, she had a head wound. Peter was awake, completely fine thankfully, and was dragging the body of the third person. They were a man, just a bit older then Peter, and clearly dead, but Peter insisted that he would wake and want him there. Loki didn’t want to be the one to tell him the man was very, very dead. 

And, finally, as ambulances arrived, they found Stark and his fellow armoured friend. Stark’s hands were red, burned and blisted, but what was worrying was the glow of the reactor in his chest. It was magic, Loki could tell, grown from his own magic from his hope that he would live. But he may have just cursed him to live with it forever. He was younger, then he had been, but he was not going to return to the age he should have been. And that was Loki’s fault. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well shit. Next up, Epilogue.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little final wrap up. All of my are super short...

After everything that happened, happening as fast as it had, everything cooled down rather nicely. People healed, though some didn’t and some died. Among the first to heal had been Natasha. 

She had healed rather quickly, not Super Soldier quick, but rather quick, and in the days that followed the collapse of the Hydra base, she had become the handler of the first ever K-9 SHIELD unit. All twenty of her dogs were loyal to a T, and stayed with her wherever she went. 

With her help, as well as a bit of Bruce’s, Marcus became a part of SHIELD, a handler like Coulson had been for her. He dealt mostly with rowdy mercenaries, but he enjoyed it. The Adams were too fond of Bruce to let him go, and joined SHIELD for proper training. Jolyn became quit the mutant agent, code named Heatwave. Tina wasn’t really fighting fit, so she became the new Director’s secretary. 

Eventually, Natasha and Bruce would settle, adopt a few kids of their own. It was a good like for them. Bruce was a mostly stay at home dad, with Natasha being the breadwinner. Turns out, Hulk was pretty great with kids. 

Thor on the other hand, could never really stay still. He and Jane did marry, twice, technically. Once on earth and again in Asgard. Jane did end up having to prove her worth, first, but Odin had been more then a bit surprised when she was able to call Mjolnir right out of Thor’s hand. They traveled through the realms quite a bit, only staying on Earth long enough to be part of events and special occasions. 

Loki, on the other hand, had settled very nicely into the Avengers Tower. He was the first ever ‘reformed’ villain that joined the team. He sort of filled in for Thor, but that was about it. All the time he didn’t spend making amends with the team, he spent helping the Young's ease into their divorce and their new lives. They still treated him like their son. 

After the collapse, Aunt May had been paralyzed from the waist down. Steve got her into a nice home, and she even let him still call her mom. Said he knew he’d been adopted, so nothing to stop him now that he was just a few years older. He went to visit her often, with Peter, who he ended up taking care of, even though Peter spent more and more time with Wade as he got older. 

May did die, however, a few months after the collapse. 

He reconnected with Bucky, while Tony had still been in the hospital. Bucky told him that he was sorry, for what he had done to Tony’s wrist, but Steve forgave him. He’d thought he’d been doing the right thing, and that's what mattered. 

Speaking of Tony… The genius now permanently had the arc reactor in his chest. He was nearly ten years younger then he should have been, since he wa returned to the age he had been when he got the arc reactor instead. He didn’t hate Loki, to the god’s surprise and thankfulness. It had been an accident after all. 

He got to attend Rhodey and Pepper’s wedding, which they had almost immediately after he was released from the hospital. Rhodey said he just hadn’t been able to wait. Steve went with him, of course, and they became official. ‘Out in the open couple, together and very gay’, the media had called it. Though, it had been an accident. Pepper had thrown her bouquet into a group that had consisted of Darcy, Jane, and some other girls that Pepper knew. She’d over shot, and it had just landed right in Tony’s hands! Steve hadn’t been able to resist the chance to kiss him, and the photographer that snuck in had taken hundreds of pictures.

Tony would, eventually, marry Steve Rogers. One of them wore a dress, though the public never did find out who. 

True to his word, Tony did help out his old friend Magnolia. Skye had gotten her into SHIELD custody with that glorious dog Whiskey. When she found of Tony was actually Tony Stark, she had flipped, but was more excited then anything. Especially when she found out that Tony was going to adopt her, and keep Whiskey. 

After helping him with Magnolia, Tony did start talking with Skye more. They were about the same age now, though Skye, or Daisy, was a few years old. She became a bit of an older sister, really. They made a good hacker team. 

Out of all of them, the last to recover was Clint. He spent days and days locked away in the gym, after… After he got the news. Coulson hadn’t made it. They’d been to late. 

It was, surprisingly, Darcy who pulled Clint out of the gym. She had been close with Coulson, not as close as Clint had been, but she had seen Coulson like the big brother, or dad, that she never had. She’d joined SHIELD after his passing, and got him to go back into work. They both sort of just… threw themselves at it. Clint became a specialist handler, dealing with normal humans that had crazy skills. And Darcy… pretty much became Coulson. 

In fact, she ended up being the Avengers new handler. And made good on one of Coulson’s threats when Tony refused to stay overnight in medical. Steve had been quite upset, but she just shrugged and kept watching Cake Boss and eating ice cream while Tony eventually came back from being tased. 

She helped Clint a lot, with everything from dealing with the new SHIELD Director, Melinda May, to dealing with the Davis’s. They, like Steve and Tony, or Bruce and Natasha, or Thor and Jane, got married. Clint knew she wasn’t Coulson, and it took them both a long time to get there, but they eventually did. 

With all that happened, they were still a team. True, an old and somewhat broken team, but a team. And none of them would ever trade their experiences together for anything. 

After all, who would want to be young again when you had friends like these? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAND scene!


End file.
